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DEAR DAYS 





Ghosts. 



^DEAR, 

DAYS 

Stor/' 

OVash ing'foiv 
<3chooI "LijTe^ 

BY / 

ARM0UI15TR0NG 



HENRY T. COATES^ C9 

. PHILADELPHIA 



THE LIBRARY OF 
eO'^GRESS. 
Two Cof-itd Heceived 

NOV, r 1901 


COPVRIQHT ENTRY 

CLAS^O-XXa No. 

/ i-A 2> 

COPY a 


Copyright, 1901, by Henry T. Coates & Company. 



__ TO 

THE REAL MISS IVAH, ANNA, BESSIE, CORA, 
DAISY, MATTIE, NETTIE AND 
LITTLE JIM, 


WITH 


PLEASANT MEMORIES OF DEAR, HAPPY 
SCHOOL-DAYS AND THE 
WARM REGARD 
OF 


THE AUTHOR. 











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PREFACE. 


HINKING over the happy times at school 



1 recalls to mind certain childish but vigorous 
criticisms of many books and of objectionable parts 
in them. Who cares how things look ? Places 
and yards and houses and rooms and furniture are 
tiresome — it takes so long to get to what people do 
and say!” was a frequent criticism. Much descrip- 
tion of anything and even the shortest bit of 
moralizing was always skipped with an impatient 
sigh and the determined remark Some day I will 
write a book and it won’t have all that in it I And 
I’ll begin it by making somebody say something 1” 
A little later I found myself responsible for the 
books many children read because I could not re- 
sist any demand for directions for travelling in the 
world of books. You have read so many books 
and you know just what we like,” said my little 
friends. ‘^You know books and you know chil- 
dren, so you can tell us what they ought and what 
they ought not to read,” said my friends, their 
mothers. Those who have been in the same posi- 
tion will realize how difficult it is to please both 
mother and child. There are endless books which 
a boy between ten and fifteen may read with various 


( vii ) 


degrees of pleasure and profit, but many have felt 
the lack of books for girls of the same age. 

Maybe that’s the reason so many girls read 
silly novels so soon,” reasoned my grandmotherly 
childish self. ‘‘ Some day I will write a book that 
shall be one more of the right kind for girls.” 

The ^^some day” has come and gone; there is 
an actual book which I must call mine, and now 
comes the relentless, troublesome question, “ Does 
^ Dear Days ’ fulfil the childish ideal ?” Who may 
decide that but the girls and their mothers ? When 
I held in secret a receipt from an express company, 
when my heart throbbed wildly at the sound of 
horses’ feet trotting swiftly, when my sight seemed 
to fail as red wagons stopped near my gate — then, 
ah, then ! I murmured to myself : Even if the 
MS. comes back, I really do think it is what the 
little girl of long ago would have liked.’* 

Alas ! My older self has cruelly betrayed that 
determination of the young critic. If you will 
trouble yourself to notice you may find two sepa- 
rate descriptive passages which were put in at the 
suggestion of the publishers. This I do not tell 
to that past self and I trust you not to do so. In 
any event, as you may find in one second, the book 
does begin by making somebody say something.” 

Armour Strong. 

Washington, D. C., 

July, 1901. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

Something Turns Up, . 

. I 

II. 

The First Day at School, . 

13 

III. 

Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors, . 

. 25 

IV. 

A New School-Room and Scholar, 

39 

V. 

Mattie Finds Letter C, . 

. 50 

VI. 

The Masculine Gender, 

61 

VII. 

Addition and Subtraction, 

, 72 

VIII. 

Letters A and D Squabble, 

82 

IX. 

Ghosts, ..... 

• 93 

X. 

Letter B’s Party, .... 

104 

XI. 

Spring Days, .... 

. 115 

XII. 

The Botanical Gardens, 

126 

XIII. 

Examination Day, 

. 137 

XIV. 

The Good-by Entertainment, 

148 

XV. 

An Oasis, .... 

. 160 

XVI. 

A Ten O’clock Scholar, 

177 

XVII. 

Curiosity Killed Itself, . 

. 188 


( iO 


X 

Contents 

\ 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 

XVIII. 

Bookworms Bother, 

199 

XIX. 

Letter A in Disgrace, . 

. . 211 

XX. 

Easter Monday, 

. 222 

XXI. 

Ford’s Theatre, . 

. 241 

XXII. 

Letter D’s Garden-Party, . 

. 252 

XXIII. 

Drifting Apart, . 

. . 267 

XXIV. 

Once More, .... 

. 282 

XXV. 

Along the River, 

. 299 


DEAR DAYS 


CHAPTER I. 


SOMETHING TURNS UP. 

H, Maryland, my Maryland,’ we must away 



from your red clay, why can’t we stay 


here every day,” mournfully sang Anna Roderick, 
as she sat under the tall oak trees and looked first 
at Oak Cottage and then up and down Fourth 
Avenue. Her eyes lingered lovingly on the thick 
trunk of the tree that had grown up to the cottage, 
and then followed the branches as they spread out 
over the roof. It does look as though it is grow- 
ing right out of the cottage. I am so glad we have 
a name that means something.” 

The Grove had begun its existence as a Metho- 
dist camp-meeting ground with tents to shelter the 
worshippers from the city of Washington, twenty- 
one miles away. But, with the rest of the world, it 
had progressed. The canvas dwelling-places were 


I 


2 


Dear Days 


replaced by pine-board cottages in the shape of tents, 
but with more rooms to meet the demand for com- 
fort, and with fancy fronts and porches to satisfy the 
desire for decoration. Religious services were held 
in a large wooden tabernacle, where the children 
could sit and measure the length of the minister’s 
sermon, or watch the birds, the butterflies, and the 
other children at play in the six avenues converg- 
ing at the Circle. The railway station was a quarter 
of a mile away, and the road between was the 
principal avenue, with a few two-story cottages, 
built by the more pretentious of the stockholders 
in the Grove Association. 

Oak Cottage had been bought by the Rodericks 
so that Anna might go to the country and be in the 
sunlight and fresh air all summer. From the porch 
she could see the ministers and congregation and 
hear most of what was said. The soil in the yard 
was red and rocky, so a load of sand from another 
county had been dumped at the side of the house. 
Wonderful houses had often been made of sand, 
and on the last day of the school vacation Anna and 
Cliflbrd had been forced to construct another, while 
the rest of the family packed everything to be 
moved to Washington. 


Something Turns Up 3 

Mr. Roderick had been a clerk to “ Uncle Sam ” 
since boyhood. Living free from business worry 
and competition, he had centred his interest in home 
and family, and was disturbed by nothing so much as 
the necessity of spending the evening outside of his 
home circle. Responsibility could not be attached 
to him. A boyishness of manner and a love of joking 
made him appear to his three children as one of 
themselves. Mrs. Roderick was one of the dear, 
wise, beautiful mothers with the bravest, brightest 
spirit of any. With herself and husband and chil- 
dren to guide aright, and all practical matters for 
her to settle, she had a keen interest in the outside 
world, and was known as the best of church-work- 
ers. She longed for the best of everything, but 
was restricted by lack of money, and for the sake 
of her invalid daughter she denied herself much she 
might have had. She made mother, home and 
heaven the sweetest words known. 

Early in the morning the Rodericks closed 
Oak Cottage and began the long drive to the city 
with thoughts still on the summer happenings. 

“ ' Summer’s the time for fun.’ I do wish there 
was no end to it,” sighed Anna Roderick. But 
whenever she mounted the wish-horse, good sense 


4 


Dear Days 


immediately helped her to get down again. So, as 
she watched a toad hop away from the carriage- 
wheels, she added, “ Going home behind a horse 
instead of a steam-engine makes the summer longer, 
doesn’t it ?” 

Mrs. Roderick smiled at the daughter beside 
her, and that was all the answer needed. This 
mother and daughter understood each other with- 
out much speech. ^‘Are you tired?” Mrs. Rod- 
erick asked anxiously. 

“ Not the least bit. I guess we’ve come half the 
way, too. Janet doesn’t know what she is missing. 
I wish she liked Kate to pull her to The Grove and 
back, as the rest of us do.” 

This family of five had one opinion about most 
things. To Anna it seemed that Janet was disloyal 
to prefer an hour’s ride in the steam-car to an all- 
day ride in their carriage. 

“ Kate doesn’t feel hurt. Now if Janet was here 
there would be some excuse for this slow travel- 
ling. Get up !” said Mr. Roderick, as he put out 
his hand for the whip. 

Kate was the honorary member of the family, 
and never allowed any of her kin to have more 
than the intention of using a whip on her. It had 


Something Turns Up 


5 


to be admitted that she was a horse with a long 
barrel ; but it was consoling to think that perhaps 
that was why she went so fast. When the hind feet of 
a horse are always trying to catch up with the fore 
feet, the result is charming to lovers of fast riding. 

Clifford was on the front seat with his father. 
When Kate quickened her pace, he twisted and 
tumbled to his knees so he could face his mother. 
Prompted by the wisdom of five years, he smiled 
lovingly before making a request. 

“ If we’ve gone half way it’s time for ginger- 
bread, isn’t it? Don’t you want some, Anna?” 
He knew that if she would back his request it would 
be granted. 

If you eat gingerbread you’ll be thirsty, and 
we are not near a spring.” Anna skillfully avoided 
the possibility of blame from either side. 

“ There ought to be one somewhere near here. 
They told us about it at Norbec,” said Mr. Rod- 
erick. Then he was surprised at the general 
laugh. 

“ Papa, when will you give it up ?” asked Anna. 

Don’t you remember we have looked every time 
for that spring ? I believe it’s dried up. Listen ! 
I hear voices.” 


6 


Dear Days 


^‘^Why, there are two children ! Let’s ask them 
about the spring.” Mr. Roderick put his hands to 
his mouth and called, Hullo there, a minute !” 

Two barefooted girls slowly came to the road. 
Though they were stingy of speech they readily 
pointed out the long-sought spring. 

‘ Never give up,’ is my motto,” said Mr. Rod- 
erick. 

“ Is there a house near here?” asked Mrs. Rod- 
erick. 

“ Yes’m, the school-house. School opened this 
morning.” 

“ Oh, dear !” exclaimed Anna, as they drove on. 

As summer can’t last forever I wish I could go to 
school. It’s so tiresome and stupid to study by 
myself. You have to be always making me, 
or I have to be making myself, and we both get 
tired!” 

Mrs. Roderick was surprised at this unusual 
impatience in Anna. “ I wish you could go,” she 
said with the least bit of sadness in her tone. This 
mother was always putting aside trouble and keep- 
ing herself bright for her invalid daughter. She 
had unconsciously imbued the daughter with the 
same brave spirit, and Anna was vexed with herself 


Something Turns Up 7 

because she had called up a trouble her mother 
must put aside. 

Never mind,” she said brightly. I am glad 
I have the books and brains, and can learn some- 
thing if I keep on trying. I’m so lazy that keep- 
ing on is the botheration of it.” 

“ What do you study things for, anyway ?” asked 
Clifford. “ I wish I didn’t have to go to school 
this winter. What’s the use?” 

don’t want to be a stupid,” laughed Anna. 
“Somehow I feel as if I could — ” she hesitated, 
laughed again, and then finished — “ I think I could 
learn a lot if I’d only done the things over and over 
and over again as they do in the schools. My mind 
won’t always work when I want it to. I think it 
would be easier if I had some one to get ahead of.” 

She felt but did not exactly understand her diffi- 
culty. She needed regular study and constant drill 
in the parts of studies that school-girls learn with- 
out perceptible effort because they are constantly 
hearing others recite. In every year of her life 
there had been days and months when she had been 
unable to look at a lesson-book. She was am- 
bitious, and it fretted her to be behind others of her 
age. So she hurriedly mastered a principle and 


8 


Dear Days 


then pushed on to another, neglecting to practice 
the details of working out, which are one’s voucher 
for the possession of knowledge. Then, too, inac- 
tivity had made her indolent, and she had that to 
struggle against. 

“ I wish I knew of some child who would come 
and recite with you,” said Mrs. Roderick. “ I 
think I could teach two as well as one.” 

“You have enough on you as it is,” said Anna, 
warmly. “I’ll stop having lazy times and reading 
stories, and then I’ll do better.” 

“Well, perhaps something will turn up.” 

Clifford grinned at the familiar phrase. When a 
Roderick mounted the wish-horse, the others 
always sympathetically whipped and coaxed till 
they thought the ride long enough. Then they 
quietly offered the phrase as a stepping-stone to 
the ground, so that the coming down would not be 
so hard. They preferred not to deceive themselves 
or each .other with false hopes, and so a pretended 
use of Micawber’s support always made them 
laugh. And a laugh eases troublesome matters. 

Two days later the Rodericks’ city home on Six- 
teenth Street was turned topsy-turvy by the house- 
hold goods which had come by freight from The 


Something Turns Up 


9 


Grove. The geography was the first book un- 
packed. Anna declared it was disagreeably for- 
ward, but she endeavored to use it. After the 
summer of play her mind was more balky and re- 
fractory than usual. And Africa was a hot subject 
for the middle of a Washington September, which 
is usually insufferably warm. 

Clifford’s manner was doleful as he wandered 
into the room, but he brightened as he saw Anna 
with a book. 

“ Please read to me,” he begged. “ I haven’t 
anything to do.” 

All his life Clifford had had nothing to do. He 
had many toys, but he did not like to play with 
them alone. Perhaps it was because he was sure 
that Anna knew of so many delightful things for a 
little boy to do, and generally liked to help him do 
them. 

‘^What shall I read?” asked Anna. 

‘Trotty’s Christmas Tfee,’ ” eagerly. 

“ Oh, yes, of course ; and ‘ Patty’s Christmas 
Pies’ and ^ The Pussy-Cat, the Parrot and the 
Monkey,’ and all the rest of ‘ Christmas Elves.’ 
Will you ever want anything new ? Pm sure you 
know every bit of that book by heart !” 


I o Dear Days 

Clifford laughed as he took the book from the 
bookcase and settled himself on the broad window- 
seat. Then Anna proceeded to do two things at 
once. She propped the geography against the 
window and opened the story book in her lap. 
As she read aloud the tiresomely familiar words 
she silently fixed the facts of her lesson in her 
mind. 

“Then Trotty went up to the duck and said, 
‘ Duck, can you show me the way to Santa Tause’s 
house ?* — Victoria Nyanza is the principal lake of 
Africa, the Nile is the longest river a7id — ” Here 
she was uncertain of the story, and paid strict at- 
tention to that. “ The horse said to Trotty, ^ If you 
give me a bite of your apple I will show you the 
way to Santa Tause’s house — ’ The Atlas Moun- 
tains are in northern Africa. The country is bounded 
on the north by — ” 

Two stories were finished and the lesson well 
learned when Mrs. Roderick entered the room. 

“ Well, Anna, something has really turned up 
right at our door-step.” 

“A scholar for you?” laughingly asked Anna. 
She suspected pleasantry. 

“ No ; a school for you. There is to be a little 


SometJung Turns Up 1 1 

private one on Tenth Streeth, six squares from 
here. Janet could take you every morning in your 
chair as she goes to school. The young lady 
seems very nice ; she is Miss Clara Gannet’s niece. 
They thought, as you were able to attend Miss 
Clara’s school before, that you might begin again. 
Would you like it?” 

Oh, yes, indeed !” Anna drew a long breath, 
but then she looked up doubtfully. Can we 
afford it ?” 

The “ we ” was suggestive of the mutual confi- 
dence between parents and children. Each mem- 
ber of the family had a correct idea of the income 
and expenses, and so there was no careless begging 
and thoughtless extravagance or ignorance of the 
value of money, even with Clifford. 

“ I think we can manage,” said Mrs. Roderick 
cheerfully. Your dresses will do, won’t they ?” 

Oh, yes, they are plenty good enough.” 

Anna did not sigh, but she remembered that in 
the middle of the summer she had allowed her 
fancy to choose the color, material and style of 
making the new winter dress she should probably 
have. Her passion for fine dress was a trial to her, 
because she felt it was so unsuitable in an invalid. 


Dear Days 


I 2 

She enjoyed Janet’s wardrobe more than -her own, 
because in her sister beauty of person matched 
beauty of dress ; yet if she herself was not suit- 
ably and prettily dressed she was extremely un- 
comfortable, and had to battle with herself to keep 
from being cross. 

But more than the loss of a dress could easily be 
borne for the sake of going to school, where she 
would be compelled to “ keep on ” or be shamed 
before the scholars. It was hard to wait till the 
time set. She marked off the days on the calendar, 
and when the day came she was up and dressed be- 
fore the rising-bell rang. She did not let any one 
see that she was excited, but when Janet had her 
in the street she deliberately spoke to herself. The 
wheels drowned the sound as she said slowly : 

It is really me, but I can hardly believe it !” 


CHAPTER II. 


THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL. 



‘HE grassy yard in front of the school-house 


was longer than the average city yard. The 
house was a three-story brick, and the one-story 
wooden bow-window, and the porch all the way 
across, gave it a pleasing appearance. Janet put 
the wheel-chair up the one step of the porch with- 
out difficulty. 

The young school-teacher'answered the bell-ring. 
“And this is Anna Roderick,” she said. The tone 
of her voice favorably impressed Anna ; it was so 
composedly pleasant. 

“Yes, and this is my sister Janet, Miss Gan- 


net.” 


“ Can I help you up that step ? Oh, that was 


easily done. Come right into the school-room.” 


It was a back room with a combination window 
and door which led into the back yard. There 
were no desks. In the middle of the room was a 
table with a pretty green cover, and comfortable- 


( 13) 


Dear Days 


H 

looking chairs stood around. A blackboard on 
an easel was the only thing that suggested school. 

When Anna had unbuttoned her coat Miss Gan- 
net forestalled Janet’s aid, and pulled in the right 
direction and jerked at the necessary time, as if she 
was accustomed to doing it every day. Anna had 
found most people extremely stupid when they 
tried to take off an invalid’s coat. 

“ You are on your way to school, I believe,” said 
Miss Gannet to Janet. 

“Yes, I am in the first year of the High School.” 

“ I graduated from there four years ago ;” and 
while the two talked about the teachers of the 
High School, Anna studied her own teacher. 

Light hair becomingly arranged, grey eyes, a 
pretty color in the plump cheeks, a pleasant smile 
and gentle manner, and a brown dress that suited 
in every way. “ I am sure I shall like her,” thought 
Anna. 

“ Well, good-by, Anna. I’ll be here as soon 
after two o’clock as I can. You will have one 
scholar after school hours, Miss Gannet,” said 
Janet. 

“ Kept in for badness every day,” added Anna. 
It was the first revelation of the fun-loving spirit 


The First Day at School 15 

which was to teach the teacher something new 
about invalids. 

“ I’m not afraid you will give me trouble,” said 
Miss Gannet, and then she went to answer a second 
ring. 

Anna frowned and sighed. “ Like everybody 
else she expects me to be angelic, and I suppose 
I’ve got to be ! I ’spose she’d be stunned if I 
should let out any of the ‘Old Nick.’ I’m just 
awfully sick and tired of being a model !” 

A tall and rather stout girl of eleven entered the 
room with Miss Gannet. Anna glanced at the big 
braid of tawny-colored hair tied up at the back of 
the head, and immediately knew that it would go 
below the waist when allowed to hang. “ Why, 
Nettie !” she exclaimed. 

“ Hullo, Anna ! I met Janet and she said you 
were here.” 

“Do you know each other?” asked Miss Gan- 
net, much surprised. 

“ Oh, yes. We go to the same place every sum- 
mer,” replied Anna. 

“ We’ve played dolls together and had lots of 
fun, haven’t we, Anna?” 

The other two scholars came together at exactly 


i6 


Dear Days 


four minutes of nine. Nettie Pauline greeted 
them as old friends because they had all been 
schoolmates in another school. Anna examined 
them with eager interest. 

She instantly liked Daisy Joy and her dark hair, 
rosy cheeks, saucy nose and the merry grey eyes 
that looked with frank curiosity and interest at the 
invalid. Bessie May’s short golden hair, regular 
features and fair complexion were equally charm- 
ing, but the blue eyes looked coolly and without 
interest at Anna. 

“ I don’t think I shall like her^ because — well, I 
don’t think she will like me,” thought Anna. 

That is, I can’t be as friendly with the beauty as 
with the dear, because the beauty won’t want me 
to. But they’re both going to be so interesting. I 
can see they’re very chummy. Well, Nettie has 
always been lovely to me, and I don’t expect them 
to take me up.” 

Isn’t she pale and sickly ? I do hope she 
won’t be cross and horrid,” whispered Bessie to 
Daisy. 

Just then Anna laughed at something Nettie 
said, and her plain, quiet face was wonderfully 
brightened. 


The First Day at School 17 

‘‘She looks weak and proper, but I believe 
there’s some fun in her,” answered Daisy. “ May- 
be we can drag it out. I don’t believe she will 
bother us.” 

After the opening exercises. Miss Gannet sat 
down at the table. “ Now we must have a little 
examination in order to find out what to study.” 

Daisy and Bessie groaned aloud and Anna 
trembled violently. 

“You needn’t be afraid. It won’t be bad,” 
Miss Gannet smiled, as she handed a book to Bessie 
and pointed to a piece. “ I want to see how you 
all read.” 

Bessie stumbled over but few words, and rendered 
meaning and punctuation very well. Daisy slighted 
punctuation and seemed determined to get all the 
words in one breath. Nettie mispronounced so 
many words and changed so many others that 
Daisy and Bessie giggled. Because of long prac- 
tice and love for it, Anna read confidently, under- 
standingly and correctly. Her heart glowed with 
gladness and pride when she saw Miss Gannet’s 
look of satisfaction. 

“Well, you can read,” announced Daisy, when 
she had finished staring. 


1 8 Dear Days 

“Indeed she can. I have heard her before,” 
said Nettie. 

Bessie looked coldly at Anna and said nothing. 
Although she was the youngest, she would have 
been the best reader in the school if Anna had not 
read so well. 

“ Now try poetry,” said Miss Gannet. No com- 
ment was made until each girl had read a poem. 
Then Daisy snickered, and in a minute all were 
convulsed with laughter. Not even Anna had been 
able to keep from reading in a sing-song manner. 

“ I don’t like poetry a bit, and I can’t read it. I 
think it’s so silly to work over a thing till you make 
it rhyme when you could just write down what you 
want to say in two minutes.” 

“ I like poetry, and that’s the best I can read it. 
I just believe it was made to read that way.” 
Bessie laughed gaily at the absurdness of her state- 
ment. 

“Oh, Miss Ivah, wasn' dreadful!” exclaimed 
Daisy. 

“ Miss Ivah !” repeated Nettie. 

“Yes, Miss Ivah — and you’d better say it too. 
You needn’t think we’re going to call her Miss 
Gannet. She isn’t big enough, is she, Bessie ?” 


The First Day at School 19 

This was said aloud, with perfect gravity and 
matter-of-course daring. Bessie looked at her 
teacher’s surprised face, laughed, and said, with be- 
witching candor, 

“ No, she isn't. We’ll say Miss Ivah because 
you’re nice, and we like you, and aren’t afraid of 
you.” 

Miss Ivah laughed, but dignity was added to her 
gentle manner as she said, I meant to ask you all 
to say Miss Ivah, so I won’t feel so old. You know 
it is but a few years since I was a school-girl. Now 
I will give you some test examples. Nettie, please 
work yours on the board while the others watch.” 

Nettie worked quickly and sat down. 

Do you all think that is worked correctly?” 
asked Miss Ivah. 

Bessie raised her hand. I think the principle 
is right, but I never knew that six times nine are 
forty-eight.” 

Nettie laughed as she jumped up and corrected 
the mistake. Bessie took her place at the board 
with an easy, confident air, and tidily chalk-marked 
her example without pausing a moment. She re- 
ceived with a self-satisfied smile Miss Ivah’s warm 
“That’s right.” 


20 


Dear Days 


“ Huh ! You ain’t the only one that can do a 
sum right,” said Daisy ; and though she hesitated, 
she, too, worked correctly. ‘‘ Arithmetic’s as easy 
as anything to Bessie, and she likes it. I don’t 
like any old study.” 

“ Nettie, will you please go to the board and 
work as Anna directs?” 

Nettie was perfectly willing, but Anna was not 
at all ready. She had stared at the slip of paper, 
and read the words over and over : man bought 

y tons of hay, at $iy a ton^ and sold the same for 
$20 more than he gave for it ; what did he receive 
“ Oh, why can’t I go right at it ! I’m sure I’ve 
done that before.” 

^^Well, Anna?” said Miss Ivah. 

“ Why, Miss Ivah, I — I don’t — I am afraid I — ” 
she stammered, and desperately finished, “ I can’t 
do it.” The surprise on all the faces goaded her 
to explanations. “ I feel as though I know how — 
but somehow — you see I haven’t studied for so 
long—” 

Bessie sniffed audibly and Daisy said bluntly, 
Why, that’s as easy as can be. Anybody can do 
that in two minutes !” 

This was too much. Never had Anna minded 


The First Day at School 21 

suffering as she minded the suffering of that min- 
ute. Every nerve tingled, and she was unable to 
control herself. Much to her disgust, she put her 
head down on the desk and sobbed hard. 

“ I never cry, and why did I have to do it now ! 
I’d rather they’d think me a dunce than a cry- 
baby f she thought. ‘^They shan’t puzzle over me 
long. I will stop.” 

In a few minutes she composed herself and an- 
swered all questions about history and geography. 
But she did not dare to look at the others, and for 
the rest of that day she ached all over and shivered 
at times. 

It was half-past one when Miss Ivah opened a 
book and smiled a queer little smile. Each scholar 
wondered what new trial awaited them. 

I have quite a fair idea of how you’ve studied 
other people’s books. Now you must write some- 
thing yourselves. I shall read to you Charles 
Kingsley’s ^ Three Fishers,’ and I want you each to 
present me with a prose edition of it. You will 
have just half an hour.” 

“Oh, you horrid thing !” cried Daisy. 

“ I never can,” solemnly said Bessie. 

“ What’s the good in that ? It’s the worst of all. 


22 


Dear Days 


You know how well enough, without our showing 
you.” Nettie’s tone was sullen. 

Anna did not know how well she could transpose, 
because she had never tried. But she knew she would 
at least have no difficulty in making her mind go at it. 

Miss Ivah put on a resolute look and requested 
silent obedience. Four pens scratched and four 
heads were scratched till the clock struck two. 

“ School is dismissed,” said Miss Ivah. 

“ I’ve just put down the last word,” said Anna. 
She had worked hard, but it had not been at all 
hard to do. 

Mercy !” said Bessie. I finished long ago. 
I’ve been writing a letter to Daisy telling her about 
the private school I go to.” 

Let me see what you could do so quickly.” 

Bessie bowed gracefully as she surrendered the 
paper. At a glance. Miss Ivah read the bald state- 
ment of facts. Her mouth twitched, and she shook 
her head at the unrepentant scribe. 

“ I know it isn’t good, but I can’t make it any 
gooder.” 

“ Nettie’s and mine aren’t any better,” triumph- 
antly announced Daisy. “ We never had to do that 
stuff.” 


The First Day at School 


23 


“ Now this is the way I wanted you all to do it.” 
Miss Ivah handed Anna’s paper to the others. 

I am afraid none of you tried. I know you can 
do better. Anna’s is very good. I am delighted 
with it.” 

“Yes, that is fine. I guess you are bright,” said 
Daisy cheerfully. 

“ And the rest of us need dunces’ caps. Miss 
Ivah, you have them all ready for to-morrow,” 
added Bessie, with a giggle. 

“ I am older than the fest of you, and I have 
read more,” said Anna hastily. She was not en- 
tirely pleased with Miss Ivah’s praise. It was com- 
forting and pleasant, of course ; but she hated to 
have an example held up to her and to be held up 
as an example. She would rather have completely 
failed again than to give those girls cause to dis- 
like her. 

“ Did you ever read how to do that ?” demanded 
Daisy. 

“ Oh, no.” 

“Then don’t try to be modest. You’re smart 
and we ain’t, so — good-by.” She had been put- 
ting on her coat and hat, and now pulled Bessie out 
the door. 


24 Dear Days 

Good-by, Anna. See you to-morrow,” said 
Nettie, and she quickly followed the others. 

Miss Ivah and Anna exchanged smiles, which 
expressed their knowledge of the charming trouble 
the girls would be. 

“ Aren’t they nice and funny ? Miss Ivah, do 
you think it would be fair for you to give me some 
test examples to work out to-night ? I can have 
them explained.” 

“ Why, certainly. Your mother said you would 
need especial help ii? arithmetic. I will select 
some problems while you are waiting for your 
sister.” 


CHAPTER III. 


LUNCH BASKETS AND PRETTY NEIGHBORS. 

T THINK your sister is awfully pretty,” said 
Daisy. 

It was the half-hour recess for luncheon. Daisy 
had forgotten to bring anything from home, and 
was sharing the contents of Anna’s large basket. 

** Do you ?’’ responded Anna, feeling rather 
embarrassed, and wondering what she was ex- 
pected to say. 

“ Yes, of course ; don’t you ?” 

^*Why, yes — I do,” stammered Anna. This 
matter of fact frankness was new to her. She had 
always considered a sister a part of one’s self, and 
therefore not to be discussed. 

“ Is she as nice as she is pretty ?” queried Daisy, 
with her mouth full of preserved cherries. “ Now 
my sister is nice when she don’t boss, but she’s not 
a bit pretty.” 

Anna felt she could not have said that about her 
sister, if she did boss, and was not pretty. If Janet 

(25) 


26 Dear Days 

had been horrid she would never have mentioned 
the fact ; but she did not think it worth while to 
be indignant at the question, so she said quietly : 

^‘She is very nice, and she never bosses.” It 
seemed to her that additional praise of a sister 
would be in bad taste. 

My ! Emma does, but I never mind her. She’s 
great fun, though. She don’t try to be big and 
ain’t a bit stuck up. We have a pear-tree in our 
yard, and we each have a limb and call it our 
wheel — we haven’t any bicycles, you know ; Papa 
won’t let us. Emma rides her wheel as often as 
we do, and thinks it’s fun. She’s seventeen, too.” 

‘‘She must be lovely!” said Anna admiringly. 
“ I like girls to climb trees and run and do things 
like that.” It was what she would do if she could, 
for there was a wildness of spirit in the quiet girl. 
Again she wished that Janet would be tom-boyish, 
but she hastened to banish the wish, and of course 
did not speak it. “ Who are ‘ we ’ ?” she asked. 

“ Oh, the boys, Rob and Lowry. They are 
fifteen and thirteen. We have lots of fun to- 
gether.” 

Anna thought Daisy pronounced the word as 
though it was spelled Laurie^ and she was pleas- 


Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors 27 

antly excited. All of her romantic ideas were cen- 
tred in the boy Laurie in Miss Alcott’s Little 
Women.” After her family, of course, he was the 
nicest person she ever knew or read of. Now here 
she was going to school with a girl who had a 
brother named Laurie ! It was certainly thrilling. 
And Robert had always been a favorite name. 
“ I wish I had some big brothers,” she said en- 
■ viously. 

Bessie was having a tussle with Nettie, but at 
this heresy she paused. “I don’t. One brother 
is one too many for me. They are the biggest 
teases you ever saw.” 

I have a little brother, so I know that. But I 
don’t mind teasing, because I’m never teased.” 

“ Oh, you’re wonderful,” said Bessie laughingly. 
But Anna determined to repress all such recollec- 
tions in the future. She hastily asked, 

“ What grades are your brothers in ?” 

They aren’t in any grades. They are at the 
Columbia Prep. None of us have ever been in a 
public school,” answered Daisy scornfully. Why, 
there are Jews and old Italians, and Dutch chil- 
dren and Irish, and lots of common things at public 
school.” 


28 


Dear Days 


Anna had views about the value and dignity of 
the public school, and resented this tirade. But 
she sensibly bowed to the prejudice, and smiled as 
she said : 

‘‘And negroes in with the whites in New York. 
But there are no muffs or dudes or stupids. You 
have to study in the public school or you are left 
behind ; and when you’ve been left behind a few 
grades, you feel ashamed to be with small children, 
and you go to private school. You see when you 
leave the public school, the teacher gets her pay just 
the same. But the private school-teacher pets you 
and makes you believe you know a lot, so she can 
fill her pocket-book.” 

This was so astounding that Daisy received it as 
a joke, and laughed with Anna. Of course, no 
one could say that and mean it. Family custom 
and solemn discussion forbade belief in the sober- 
ness of such a statement. 

“ Have your brothers been at Prep, all their 
lives ?” inquired Anna demurely. 

“ The idea ! They started at Miss Clara Gan- 
net’s, where Nettie and Bessie and I were last 
year. 

Anna started. “ Why, I went to her school a 


Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors 29 

little while before Nettie began. Oh ! why how 
funny I didn’t think before ! A Joy boy was at 
the same desk with me, — they were double, you 
know, — but his name was Lowry ^ not Laurie.” 

That’s what I said. He hates anybody to call 
him Laurie, and almost everybody does. But ain’t 
it queer? Rob and Lowry and Anna at Miss 
Clara’s, and then Bessie and Nettie and I, and now 
Nettie and Anna and Bessie and I here. — Isn’t 
Miss Clara lovely?” 

Indeed she is,” said Anna, absentmindedly. 
She was busy with recollections of happy times at 
the other school, which she had almost forgotten. 
She was so young then and had not noticed much, 
but. now many incidents came back to her with 
added interest. With warm gratitude she recalled 
how kindly Lowry had taught her how to find 
places on the map while carefully hiding his sur- 
prise at her ignorance. Only now did she realize 
that he must have been surprised. She remem- 
bered the day she deliberately rebelled against 
carefulness, and bounced her rubber-ball on the 
window-sill when the window was open. Of 
course, the ball bounced out of the second-story 
window into the long grass of the play-yard. 


30 


Dear Days 


Lowry hunted long and willingly until he found 
it, and then Anna cheerfully accepted her limit. 
Once Robert secretly handed her a “ lozenger.” 
As she put it aside to gather sweetness by stand- 
ing, a big boy whispered that it was nothing but 
stone. She was delighted with the joke and the 
clever imitation, and half-wished she had tried to 
bite before she was told, so that Robert might 
be delighted too. The Joy boys went home to 
luncheon, and when they returned often presented 
crackers in the shape of butterflies, bees and cats 
to Anna and another girl, who proudly pinned 
them on their dresses. Anna kept a butterfly at 
home till it crumbled. On special occasions 
Lowry recited a piece of poetry, which declared 
he never would smoke, drink or chew. Once 
he declined to declaim on the plea of forget- 
fulness. Anna found the piece in a temperance 
paper at home, and had the pleasure of reading as 
he recited, and prompting him once. 

Then there were two dreary weeks of sickness 
brightened by a beautiful bouquet of flowers sent by 
the Joy boys. With great timidity and labor Anna 
had penned a note of thanks. When Miss Clara 
called on the sick scholar she flushed Anna with 


Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors 31 

amazement and pride by announcing that the Joy 
boys were extremely proud of their note, and had 
showed it to everybody at school. But even then 
Anna had half-doubted Miss Clara’s understanding 
of the matter. After she left the school she was 
driving with her mother one day. While she watched 
a stranger on one side of the street, the Joy boys 
passed on the other and bowed to Mrs. Roderick. 
Anna bravely hid her disappointment, but she had 
longed to see how much they had changed in a 
year and how they tipped their hats. 

With a long sigh she dismissed pleasant memo- 
ries. Then she smiled to herself as she saw that 
her slight acquaintance spoiled the romance and 
severed connection with Miss Alcott’s Laurie. But 
these boys of real life were interesting ; she hoped 
Daisy would talk of them often. 

I wonder what kind of flower that is,” said 
Nettie, as she gazed at a flower-pot set on a post 
of the back fence. 

I’m going to see.” Daisy flung up the window 
and tried to find the way to open the lower part. 

Oh, I wouldn’t go there !” involuntarily ex- 
claimed Anna. She thought that just because 
they went to school in one room they had no 


32 


Dear Days 


right to spy on- the other parts of the establishment. , 
Even the being present when some one else did it 
made her feel ashamed. 

Opposition was the spur Daisy needed to over- 
come difficulty. She could not find the door- 
opening, so climbed over it. She examined the 
flower long and closely, just because she guessed 
that Anna wished she would hurry back. In the 
middle of a pantomime expressing her deep ad- 
miration, the sharp bark of a dog startled her. 
Up to the window she rushed, followed by a 
shaggy little Skye terrier, which quivered and 
barked with rage at her transgression. 

Help me in quick! Oh, girls P' she cried. 
There was real fright in her tone. 

Nettie grabbed and pulled, while Bessie bunched 
herself on the floor and laughed at this funny end 
of the bravado. 

You always were scared of a dog !” she gasped. 
''The idea! Here, doggie, nice fellow! You want 
some company, don’t you ? We must have a nice 
play together.” She had begun to climb out when 
Miss Ivah entered the room. 

" What is the matter ? Why, Fritz, you must 
not bark that way. What makes him ?” 


Lu7ich Baskets a7id Pretty Neighbors 33 

“Why, I was looking at your cactus, and he 
came up behind and frightened me to death !” ex- 
plained Daisy, with an injured air, while her eyes 
twinkled at the girls. “ Why do you keep a horrid 
old dog ?” 

“ Fritz is a well-behaved dog. It is only when 
he thinks others are misbehaving that he barks so. 
The cactus will be prettier later. I expected to have 
the pleasure of showing it to you all,” said Miss 
Ivah pleasantly. As she left them she had again 
the resolute look the scholars knew by this time. 

They never once recognized the fact that they 
were in a school under Miss Ivah Gannet ; it was 
with her in all study, play and idleness. Of course 
she was ahead of them in age, size and school- 
learning, but still she was close beside them. They 
were not kept on tip-toe by fear of punishment. 
They loved her enough to tease her and cause the 
look of half rebuke and half amusement. 

“ Let’s go out on the porch,” proposed Nettie. 
“ It is nice and warm ; I can take Anna out. Oh, 
you haven’t finished your lunch !” 

“ I don’t want any more.” Anna put a glass 
half-filled with preserves into her basket and shut 
the lid. 


3 


34 


Dear Days 


“You don’t? Well, I do.” 

Daisy snatched the glass, and then had a strug- 
gle with Bessie. As they went through the hall to 
the porch they compromised on putting a spoonful 
first into one mouth and then into the other. 

“ Did your mother preserve those cherries ?” 
asked Nettie. 

“Yes. We picked them last summer at The 
Grove. We would take the carriage and hunt 
along the country roads for cherry trees outside 
of fences. Clifford and the colored boy would 
climb the trees and pick and throw down branches 
to me. Nettie, you were with us several times — 
do you remember the time Clifford tumbled in the 
muddy ditch, and then had to lie out in the hot sun 
to dry ?” 

“ Oh, look !” cried Daisy. 

In the next yard there was a large oak tree. 
Against the trunk stood a rustic seat which was 
half hid by the dainty gowns of two young ladies. 
In feature, form and coloring they were exact oppo- 
sites. The brunette with red cheeks was fanning 
vigorously. The blonde with cheeks like peach- 
blossoms was lounging and enjoying the breeze. 
Now and then the thick leaves overhead were 


Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors 35 

stirred, and allowed a sunbeam to dance on their 
heads. 

A little sigh of delight and admiration escaped 
from each girl. In an intentionally loud tone 
Daisy asked, 

“Which do you think the prettiest?” 

“ Hush !” murmured Anna. She was sure that 
beautiful people would be embarrassed by open 
notice. But the pretty neighbors had heard. The 
brunette looked amused, and the blonde gave a 
friendly smile which each girl took to herself and 
returned with a grin. 

And then the cruelty of life ! The school-bell 
rang and the admirers had to leave the admired 
ones outside. They wished fervently that their 
school was in the front room, so that they might 
watch as they recited their lessons. 

The next day, before the clock finished striking 
twelve, Anna, with her lunch-basket, was being 
rolled to the front porch. The preserves sweet- 
ened suspense as they waited and watched for their 
pretty neighbors. 

“ We don’t know their names ; but then maybe 
they’d be ugly. We can call ’em — Anna, what do 
they call people with light and dark hair ? Bessie’s 


36 Dear Days 

one of ’em and I’m the other, but you and Nettie 
ain’t either.” 

“ Blonde and brunette. That’s justthe thing to call 
them. Its good you thought of it. When we mean 
them both we can say ‘ The. Couple.’ Oh, there !” 

The objects of their admiration, clothed in finer 
dress, came odt and gracefully seated themselves. 
After a smile of recognition they did not notice the 
children, who scanned them so eagerly and dis- 
cussed them so thoroughly. 

I think The Brunette is the prettiest, but The 
Blonde is the pleasantest looking,” stated Anna. 
They were hotly arguing about this when a hand- 
some youth entered the next yard and was warmly 
welcomed by The Couple. He settled himself on 
the grass at their feet and proceeded to say funny 
things. The frequent bursts of loud laughter were 
tantalizing to the envious children. 

“Isn’t he handsome?” demanded Nettie. 

“ Yes,” replied Anna, for the others were speech- 
less. “ But isn’t he a little — well, not flashy, ex- 
actly, but — I don’t know — ” 

“ I don’t think you do. There isn’t anything the 
matter with him,” said Daisy decidedly. “ I wonder 
which one he comes to see ?” 


Lunch Baskets and Pretty Neighbors 37 

Both, I guess,” said Bessie. 

“ Not much,” laughed Nettie. It’s one or the 
other. Oh, there’s that horrid bell ! I think we 
ought to have an hour for lunch. I say, — maybe 
Miss Ivah can tell us about The Couple.” 

But Miss Ivah had no information to give. 

Don’t you know anything about them ?” per- 
sisted Bessie. Why, you live right next to 
them !” 

That queer little smile came to Miss Ivah’s face. 
“ Well, I do know that when we haven’t time to 
make a dessert for dinner we send in there for home- 
made pies. I’ve often seen a row of round things 
cooling in the back yard. I can’t say that your 
pretty friends made them, because I never inquired. 
It seems to me the pies would burn while the 
young ladies were in the front yard.” 

The scholars’ admiration shivered under these 
cold facts. It was depressing to find that their 
queens made pies for sale, or even had a family 
engaged in that small business. In her own way, 
each girl reasoned that perfectly lovely and adora- 
ble creatures who made pies for sale, or idled and 
dressed finely while their mother made pies for 
sale, were equally disappointing. But they all 


38 


Dear Days 


wanted to have faith in the neighbors and enjoy 
their prettiness, so they said not a word. They 
resolved to wait till they had surely discovered the 
baker. 

They may be only boarding with the folks who 
make pies,” said Bessie. The others blessed her 
for the suggestion. 


CHAPTER IV. 


A NEW SCHOOL-ROOM AND SCHOLAR. 

A NNA was usually the first to enter school, but 
one morning she found the girls assembled 
on the front porch. 

Oh, girls !” she said eagerly as she was wheeled 
up. “ I met The Blonde around the corner and 
she spoke to me ! Her smile is just perfectly lovely 
when you’re close to it ! She had a market-bas- 
ket, and was with a horrid old middle-aged man. 
He didn’t look a bit like her father. Suppose he 
is her husband !” 

‘^The idea!” Daisy was indignant. “She 
wouldn’t marry an old man, I know.” 

“Unless he had money,” put in Nettie. 

“ If he had money she wouldn’t bake pies for 
sale !” retorted Daisy. 

“ Look here I” said Bessie tragically. “ If she 
boards, she wouldn’t be going to market. Oh, 
dear , — Anna / Why did you have to go and see 
her?” 


40 


Dear Days 


“Your blonde beauty must bleach her hair,” 
said Janet carelessly. “ Nettie, can you take Anna 
the rest of the way? I am late.” Janet hurried 
off without noticing the sad silence her words had 
caused. Admiration had another chill. 

“ Maybe this is a rarity,” called Daisy after Janet. 

“ It certainly w,” Janet laughed back. 

“ Anyway we’ll think so, because we don’t know 
she bleaches,” continued Daisy to the girls. She 
was ahead of them as they went in and paused at 
the first door, instead of going on to the second. 
“Have you ever looked in here, Anna?” she 
asked carelessly. 

Anna was horrified, and her face showed it. 

“Well, I’m going to look, and then you can 
see.” Daisy calmly turned the knob. “ Miss Ivah’s 
up-stairs.” 

“ Daisy, don’t !” cried Anna. “ It is not — it’s 
not — honorable P' She felt that she must use strong 
words to prevent any more waywardness. This 
would be simply disgraceful ! 

Daisy flung open the door, turned, and quickly 
rolled Anna into the room. Anna shut her eyes 
tightly, but opened them immediately, because she 
knew that was priggish. Then she was bewildered 


A New School- Room and Scholar 41 

by the appearance of the room and the immoderate 
laughter of Nettie and Bessie. 

“It ain’t honorable, ain’t it? You mean it’s 
very ^whonorable, don’t you ? Well, Miss Proper- 
Prim, I guess I know what’s right as well as you 
do. If a girl can’t look in her own school-room. I’d 
like to know who can ?’’ 

On the wall hung a large map of the United 
States, on the mantel was a small globe, against 
the wall stood a table filled with books, the largest 
of which was Webster’s Dictionary. Six desks 
and chairs faced a table and chair at the side of the 
room, and in the corner stood the easel with the 
blackboard. 

“ Is Miss Ivah going to have two school- 
rooms ?’’ asked Anna. When she understood, 
she was delighted with the change and the mis- 
chief. She thought it was lovely to have people 
play jokes on one. Daisy must have felt that 
Anna liked her, but she was sharp enough to see 
that Anna disapproved of some of her lawless acts. 
In consequence, her saucy nose had often been ele- 
vated a trifle higher. She had seized this chance 
of retaliation so that she could allow her nose to 
come down to the level of good-fellowship. 


42 


Dear Days 


“ I meant to put this chair against the wall for 
company, so Anna’s chair can roll in its place,” 
said Miss Ivah. There, you fit in nicely. Nettie 
will take the seat back of you, Bessie the one be- 
side you, and Daisy back of Bessie. I think it is 
better to have the two seats by the window unoccu- 
pied.” 

Anna was dismayed, because she thought Bessie 
would prefer another arrangement. She was sur- 
prised to receive immediately a nod and smile and 
a calm request for the loan of a sponge. Anna was 
almost sure that Bessie would not borrow from 
any one she disliked. 

Oh, Miss Ivah! You have put me where I 
can’t talk to Bessie,” said Daisy. 

Well ?” said Miss Ivah. 

I don’t like that.” 

do,” she answered smilingly. During school 
hours is not the time for talking.” 

But I must, sometimes, or I can’t live. Miss 
Ivah, I will be compelled to write notes.” There 
was mischievous warning in Daisy’s tone, but her 
face was perfectly straight. 

At this time Miss Ivah was perplexed by the 
increasing disorder in the school-room. Daisy 


A New School-Room and Scholar 43 

and Bessie would not stop whispering about les- 
sons and all other subjects. They would make re- 
marks aloud and then declare with pretty penitence 
that they could not remember they were in school. 
“Miss Ivah, what in the world does this mean?” 
— “Well, if that river isn’t the hardest thing to 
find. Anna, have you found it?” — “Miss Ivah, 
don’t you think La France roses are beautiful ? We 
have some at home. I’ll bring you one to-morrow.” 
— “ Look here ! do you think a girl thirteen years 
old ought to twist up her hair?” These were the 
abrupt words that broke order and silence. Nettie 
was soon demoralized by the prevailing restlessness, 
and Anna often succumbed. She knew that if she 
always refused to answer remarks and never made 
advances they would think her a prig. Sometimes 
Miss Ivah had considered the disorder to be a sort 
of epidemic which must run its course. Reproofs, 
appeals and punishments seemed to be added fun. 
It was because of all this that the resolute look 
came into her face at Daisy’s mention of notes. 

“ I am sure you will not do that. I must speak 
to all of you about your behavior. I hope that to- 
day and hereafter you will try to stop whispering 
and making remarks aloud. We are to have a new 


44 


Dear Days 


scholar, and I would not like her to have the im- 
pression that we are a lawless set of savages play- 
ing at school.” 

The small matter of behavior was at once set 
aside by exclamations and questions about the new 
scholar. 

“ How old is she?” 

“ Tm just sure she’ll spoil our nice times !” 

“ Is she nice ?” 

“What did you take another for? I’m sure 
we’re enough to manage.” 

“ What’s her name ?” 

Miss Ivah waited till they realized they were 
gaining nothing by talk. “ She is nine years old. 
She is good-natured, and will not spoil anything. 
I am equal to managing another if you girls do as 
you should. Her name is Mattie King. When 
she was little she had a sunstroke, and she will be 
much behind you in studies, because it is hard for 
her to learn. Now I want to ask a question. Will 
you each do all you can to make school pleasant 
for her?” 

“ To our dying day,” was Daisy’s way of an- 
swering for all, and Miss Ivah was satisfied. 

“ She lives on this square, but she cannot come 


I 




A New Scholar. 





A New School- Room and Scholar 45 

till ten o’clock to-day,” said Miss Ivah, and then 
she tapped the bell for order. 

When the clock struck ten, and there came a 
knock at the door, every head was raised, and curi- 
osity was rampant. 

Girls, this is Mattie King. Mattie, these are 
your schoolmates.” The tall, slim girl with short 
brown hair watched her teacher as the introduction 
was made, and then gravely surveyed the girls. 
Bessie smiled at her, and Nettie stepped forward to 
help untie a refractory ribbon. 

She’d be right pretty if she was dressed up and 
her mouth was not so large,” thought Daisy, as she 
stood up and bowed low. Aloud she said, “ Happy 
to meet you. Miss King.” 

This greeting puzzled the newcomer until Anna 
laughed, and said confidentially, “ Don’t mind her, 
Mattie. She’s only trying to copy her elders.” 

Mattie may have the visitor’s chair to-day. 
Then to-morrow I would like Nettie to take one 
of the seats by the window, so Mattie can sit 
back of Anna. I think Nettie can best be trusted 
just now.” 

“ Miss Ivah, I hate you,” said Daisy. 

“I never thought you’d be mean,” said Bessie. 


46 


Dear Days 


^‘ Nettie will have to talk now, because she shan’t 
know what’s going on in the street and keep it to 
herself.” Bessie did not choose to let Miss Ivah 
answer, so she hastily added, Mattie, it’s a pity 
your name doesn’t begin with C. You know here 
we have three of the first four letters of the alpha- 
bet, A, B and D. You ought to fit in between.” 

Well, if you want me to. I’ll hunt for a girl 
with a name like that and bring her here to 
school,” said Mattie obligingly, and in perfect 
faith. 

There was a suppressed giggle, and then an ap- 
parent prolonged scrap over a lead pencil. 

“ It would be nice if you could find one. I guess 
Miss Ivah would take another scholar. Only you 
must get somebody very nice,” said Anna. 

“ Let us have quiet, girls,” said Miss Ivah. As 
each minute passed and no one trespassed, she felt 
as though she was witnessing an exciting race. 
Would the clock tick off all the minutes preceding 
twelve before a remark escaped from one of the 
girls ? She opened her watch, kept it open a few 
minutes, and then closed it with a snap. 

“Twelve o’clock,” she radiantly announced. 

“ I’m faint, ’cause I’ve been so good,” gasped 


A New School- Room and Scholar 47 

Daisy. “What have you got to eat, Anna? Bessie’s 
got some dandy cake. Landy ! Where did you 
get all those ?” 

As Anna opened her lunch-basket, five or six 
small cakes tumbled out over her desk. Daisy 
boldly peeped into the basket and found it was filled 
with cakes and preserves. 

“We have a big cracker-box full of them at 
home, and we’re rather tired of them. We’re afraid 
we won’t eat them before they’re stale,” said Anna, 
trying not to speak proudly. 

“ Oh, you are ? Here, Bessie. We always like 
to help people, don’t we?” Daisy grabbed the 
basket. “ Here’s three for you, Nettie, and three 
for Bessie, and three — ” 

“ Please leave a few,” begged Anna. “ I want 
to give some to Mattie when she comes back.” 

“Here are some, then. You’d better hide ’em. 
You don’t want any, because you are tired of them. 
Bring some more to-morrow and we’ll help you 
again.” 

“You ought to be ashamed !” cried Bessie, as she 
gathered up her share. “Anna will think we haven’t 
any manners. It’s nice in her to give us half of 
her lunch, but we mustn’t let her do it any more.” 


48 


Dear Days 


Yes, we must. Anna brought those cakes for 
us, anyway. Didn’t you, Anna? I told you so. 
It’s a charity to Nettie. She lives in an old hotel 
and they never give her a decent lunch ! What 
have you got to-day ? Ugh ! Fried bananas on 
bought rolls. How nasty !” 

You needn’t talk,” retorted Nettie. You live 
in a home, and half the time you don’t bring any- 
thing at all.” 

“ You’re too fat now, but you need a few pounds 
more because you’re too fresh!” and Daisy pounded 
with her fists while Nettie shrieked for mercy. I 
am expected home for lunch, but when you all beg 
me to stay you have to feed me.” 

She’s too lazy to walk home,” said Bessie. I 
live right back of her on N Street, and I’d walk 
home every day. But we have dinner at two, and 
it’s nicer to bring a little lunch than to go home and 
have it by myself. After all my hard work, I 
have something at recess.” 

The weather was too cold for The Couple to sit 
in the yard, so their adorers had not secured any 
more knowledge of the pretty neighbors or any 
clue to the identity of the baker. While they 
waited, they believed. They had talked of uniting 


A New School-Room and Scholar 49 

pocket-money and buying a pie for luncheon ; but 
they were afraid The Blonde or The Brunette 
would answer their ring and they did not want to 
take the chance of embarrassing the beauties. • 
“ I don’t believe it’s kind to Miss Ivah to be so 
good,” remarked Daisy. 

“Why?” came a surprised chorus. 

“ Because it’s made me feel that I’m going to do 
something dreadful to-morrow.” 


4 


CHAPTER V. 


MATTIE FINDS LETTER C. 


ISS IVAH, there’s a girl lives around the 



corner from the Pension Office and her 


name’s Cora, and she says she’s coming here to 
school,” announced Mattie one morning, as she 
entered the school-room. “ Me and her had lots 
of fun yesterday. We was playing we was rowing 
in the boats and riding on the horses they have up 
on the outside of the office — whole yards of ’em.” 

‘‘ Bessie, there’s your letter 6',” said Anna. 

“ I suppose she will speak to me about it before 
she comes, won’t she ?” said Miss Ivah laugh- 
ingly. 

“ I don’t know. She’s coming to visit school 
to-day,” replied Mattie, as she took off her hat and 
smoothed down her short locks. I told her we 
have fine times here. She said she had to go 
somewhere, and she might as well come here.” 

Well, I never !” cried Daisy. 

“ Miss Ivah, do you know her?” asked Nettie. 


(50) 


Mattie Finds Letter C 


51 


“ I have a speaking acquaintance with her grand- 
mother. I presume she will bring some one with 
her to make arrangements — if she comes. Mattie 
may have misunderstood.” 

That’s what she said. She asked me about the 
girls here, and I said they was the nicest girls in 
the world, and the one that can’t walk is the most 
fun of all.” 

This undisguised praise embarrassed her school- 
mates. They knew that she had not spoken for 
their benefit, because she was entirely occupied with 
Miss Ivah. Nevertheless, they twisted and wiggled 
in their seats, and wished they had done more to 
deserve Mattie’s liking for them. Anna did not 
dare lean over the book she was studying. She 
was obliged to watch the single fly travelling over 
the ceiling, so that the moisture in her eyes would 
not overflow the eyelids. 

Mattie had a deliberate, honest way of speaking, 
always saying what she meant, and not any more 
than she meant. She never joked, but the other 
girls’ sportiveness delighted her. Her honesty 
would have kept her mystified if Anna had not 
tactfully managed to let her know when joking was 
in the air. Mattie was a class of one in all studies. 


52 


Dear Days 


but she was a valuable addition to the games and 
plays at recess. The girls sometimes imposed on 
her good nature and her perfect faith in all they said, 
but they often begged for the privilege of hearing 
and correcting her lessons and were always ready 
to help her. They were as much pleased as Mat- 
tie when they could scratch a huge but shaky R on 
all the simple examples on her slate. Miss Ivah 
found that this occupation forestalled much un-> 
timely mischief 

Anna and Mattie were industrious partners in the 
business of good will. From the first, Mattie was 
eager to wait on Anna and serve her in any way. 
The other girls had always anticipated Anna’s 
needs and, in a charmingly matter-of-fact way, pro- 
vided her with a moistened sponge or a drink of 
water, or whatever she needed, as instinctively as 
they provided for themselves. But Mattie continu- 
ally asked to do a thing before Anna knew that 
she should want it done. Anna felt the protective 
feeling Mattie had for her, and was touched and 
grateful, though such constant, glaring service was 
really rather wearisome. She felt that Mattie 
needed protection in another way ; and, as she 
longed to help people, it was a comfort to know 


Mattie Finds Letter C 


53 

that she could help Mattie a little, even though 
Mattie herself would never understand. 

No visitor came that day. But a few days later, 
Miss Ivah announced that some one had come to 
make arrangements, and that letter C was surely 
coming as a scholar the next Monday. 

“ It’s only fair to Miss Ivah to give the new 
scholar a good impression of us all,” Anna ven- 
tured to say. 

“So it is. Miss Proper-Prim,” answered Daisy 
with a grimace. “ We’ll be good little girls. 
Will grandmother give us some caramels if we 
do ?” 

Janet’s chocolate caramels were justly celebrated 
at the school, and Anna despised herself for one of 
the reasons which made her deny herself a taste of 
them at home. She liked to share with her school- 
mates and she wanted them to know Janet’s skill, 
but she was afraid her greed would have stifled 
those motives if there had not been another. She 
knew it was rather small to want the girls to be im- 
pressed by her possession of such delicious candy, 
and yet the wish was there. 

You don’t deserve a reward for just doing your 
duty,” she replied. “ Besides, giving beforehand 


54 Dear Days 

would be too risky. I don’t believe you could be 
good if you tried.” 

Cora Smith came, and her agreeable character- 
istics were speedily discovered and valued by all. 
Her brown hair was just long enough to lie about 
her shoulders. One morning it would be tightly 
braided ; the next, outrageously curled. Her voice 
was sharp, her dresses short, and her legs thin. 
Perpetual giggling, careless grammar and freckles 
were noticed at first, but were speedily forgotten 
because she was so lovable. There was absolutely 
nothing that could disturb her careless gaiety. 
A giggle and “ I don’t care ” were the buoys that 
held her above any sea of youthful trouble. 

One day she surprised them all. 

“Anna, if I give you a ticket to the May Ball at 
National Rifles’ Hall, will you go to see me dance ? 
My dress’ll be fine, and there’ll be lots of ’em 
dressed that way. I guess the Queen will be just 
lovely. You’ll like to see ’em all. I ain’t goin’ to 
git many tickets, but I’ll give you one of ’em if 
you’ll go. I’d like to git one for you all, but I 
ain’t got favor enough with the teacher.” 

Anna was a staunch little Methodist, and the 
knowledge that Cora was connected with dancing- 


Mattie Finds Letter C 


55 


schools and May Balls shocked her. She would 
not think of going to anything of the kind. But 
she realized that, in Cora, the offer was kind and 
generous and oh ! wouldn’t it be lovely to see her 
in fancy dress and whirling around in the pretty 
figures of the dance ? Anna’s fingers tapped the 
desk in time to imaginary music. 

“ Why, Cora / can you dance ? How often do 
you go to dancing-school ?” 

Why didn’t you tell us before ? Who’s your 
teacher, — and do you like it? Think what a some- 
body you are ! None of us go.” 

“ Here, Cora Smith, get right up and give us the 
skirt-dance. I think that is lovely.” 

These successive questions gave Cora a chance 
to giggle, and Anna time to think before answering. 
Cora kicked a few times, then giggled again, and de- 
clared she could not do it without music. 

“ I’ll whistle for you,” said Anna. “ Will that 
do ? I can whistle better than my brother.” 

She had never whistled before the girls, and her 
self-consciousness, as she did so, made her remem- 
ber that there would be a crowd of people at Cora’s 
May Ball. At this school she often forgot that she 
was an invalid, but of course it would not do for 


56 


Dear Days 


her to go into such a crowd. Her breath failed her 
before Cora was in the least tired. 

I can see you like to dance,” said Anna. I 
would just love to see you at the May Ball, and it’s 
lovely in you to offer me a ticket. But I never go 
to entertainments and things like that, because 
there’s always such a crowd.” 

“ But your father could take you and roll your 
chair right in, and the crowd would make room 
for you. The ball will be on the second floor, but 
anybody’ d help you up. You go to that church 
not far from there. I seen you when I come out of 
Sunday-school.” 

“ Oh, do you go to my church ? I didn’t 
know it.” 

I go there to Sunday-school when I git up in 
time.” 

‘‘You see, I know all those church people and 
they know me.” 

“ But you didn’t when you first went. Why 
can’t you have a first time at a ball ?” 

Now here was a fine chance for a virtuous dec- 
laration of Methodist principle and rule. Anna 
hoped it was not disloyal or wrong to ignore it. 

“That is different, Cora. All the excitement 


Mattie Finds Letter C 


57 


and strange things would be rather hard on me 
— really too much for me. But I’m ever so 
much obliged.” If there had been any other way 
to refuse without hurting Cora’s feelings, Anna 
would not have used her weakness as an excuse, 
because she strongly objected to reminding people 
of it. 

For a week after Cora came, Daisy was angeli- 
cally good. She answered Bessie’s whispers with 
stern looks of disapproval, Cora’s giggling with a 
blank stare, and Nettie’s occasional disrespectful 
words, to Miss Ivah, with scorn and indignation. 
She rewarded Anna’s perfect obedience with the 
sentence, “/ want to be an anget like you 
scratched on the slate under the examples she had 
corrected. Miss Ivah enjoyed the order without 
understanding the cause. 

The first school day of a new week was warm 
and sunshiny. The Sunday happenings had not 
been half discussed when nine o’clock intruded. 
The first lesson was arithmetic. There were ten 
examples on the board ; and when Cora had copied 
them on her slate, she dawdled and giggled in a 
provoking way. 

“ Shut up ! can’t you ? and give a body a chance 


58 


Dear Days 


to work these horrid old things !” Daisy suddenly 
exclaimed with sharp temper. 

Miss Ivah’s reproof made her sullen, and she 
scowled as Bessie said audibly, 

“ She won’t die just yet.” 

Just then a spitball, thrown by an erring hand, 
landed on the table by Miss Ivah. There was 
silence. Miss Ivah rose. 

Who threw that ?” 

“ I did,” said Mattie, looking a little frightened, 
yet laughing. 

“ Why Mattie ! What do you mean ?” 

“ I didn’t go to throw it at you. Miss Ivah ; I 
threw it at Bessie because she said that to Daisy 
when she was feeling bad and — cross. I don’t like 
things said about me when I’m cross. That makes 
me mad^ Miss Ivah.” 

Daisy stared at her defender. 

*^But don’t you know that was wrong?” said 
Miss Ivah. 

Mattie shifted from one foot to the other. 
‘‘Well,” she said, in her deliberate way, “Daisy 
threw one at Cora, so I thought I would do 
it too.” 

“A backer, a copier and a tell-tale all in one,” 


Mattie Finds Letter C 


59 


murmured Daisy. “ But she didn’t know she was 
letting the cat out. — Standing up for me that way !” 

Cora, is that so ?” demanded Miss Ivah. 

^‘Yes’m,” giggled Cora. But I didn’t mind. 
It come right smack on my cheek,” and she 
giggled and giggled. 

“ Well, I mind,” sharply. I cannot allow such 
flagrant misbehavior. Spitballs are abominable. 
I must ask Daisy and Mattie to stay half an hour 
after school. And, Bessie, — please remember that 
audible remarks are not allowed. The next offence 
must be punished.” 

“ Yes’m,” said Bessie, though she knew an an- 
swer was not expected. 

Nettie and Bessie came in late after the half-past 
ten recess. Nettie sullenly listened to the reproof 
that followed, and Bessie said, with careless un- 
concern, 

‘^We ran down to that little park on Rhode 
Island Avenue to get a breath of air, and we hadn’t 
any watch, so how could we tell what time it was ?” 

In the future you must satisfy yourselves with 
the air of this square.” 

Nettie could not understand one part of the 
grammar lesson for that day. Miss Ivah patiently 


6o 


Dear Days 


explained, and each girl was proud to illustrate. 
Nettie listened and watched, and declared she under- 
stood ; yet she repeatedly failed to answer correctly 
when it was her turn to illustrate. Cora giggled, 
Daisy made eyes, and Nettie was plainly more at- 
tentive to them than to the lesson. 

*‘We cannot spend more time on you, Nettie. 
You are not trying,” said Miss Ivah severely. 
“ You may take your seat.” 

Nettie flung herself on the chair, dropped her 
arms on the desk, and hid her face. Miss Ivah’s 
tone had never been so awful, and she had done 
nothing ! When you are not made with more 
brains you cannot do everything. She had not 
done anything half so bad as those girls had done, 
lots of times ! 

Every girl deserted the grammar lesson and 
stared at Nettie’s shaking figure. 

“ Nettie has lost control of herself. Can you 
help her any by neglecting your work?” sharply 
asked Miss Ivah. 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE MASCULINE GENDER. 

dear!” said Daisy aloud, one day the 
next week. 

Four sighs from less daring or more obedient 
scholars followed the exclamation. 

Miss Ivah took out her watch and looked at it. 

Your time is much faster than mine. There are 
yet forty minutes before the noon recess. We will 
suspend talking until then.” 

Well,” rebelliously began Daisy, but then she 
could not help laughing. 

ril never get these genders in my head I” burst 
from Nettie. “ Horrid old things ! What’s the 
sense in them ? I know a boy when I see him, and 
I know enough to talk about him right. If I want 
to write any love-letters I’ll get my sister to do ’em 
for me.” 

Good for you 1 I didn’t know you were so 
smart,” said Daisy. ‘‘But / know something about 
people that are not boys 1” 

(6i) 


62 


Dear Days 


Miss Ivah despairingly put down her book. She 
did not want to be stern and severe with the dear 
children. She liked a gentle rule with occasional 
indulgences ; but if that failed to keep order, she 
must make herself more rigid. “I hope we shall 
not have a repetition of last week’s insubordination.” 

I hope not,” sympathetically responded Daisy, 
but. Miss Ivah, that’s a mighty hard word. I do 
believe if you’d stop this horrid lesson for a minute 
and let us sing we’d sing the badness out of us.” 

“ Oh, will you. Miss Ivah ?” asked Bessie eagerly. 

Cora giggled. “ Singin’ ’ll git the giggle out 
of us. Miss Ivah,” and she giggled again. 

Well, if you think it will help you any we will 
sing. What shall it be ?” 

‘The Little Fish,’ ” said all together. 

The musical talent of the school was not at all 
above the average. Anna had rather a good voice 
and could manage it fairly well, but it was neces- 
sarily weak. Daisy was considered the best singer. 
It was literally impossible for Bessie to turn a tune. 
Her voice was not bad, but when she tried to turn 
from one note to the other her voice persisted in 
sounding the same few notes. The girls considered 
her valuable as a sort of accompaniment. Nettie 


The Masculine Gender 63 

could easily sound all the notes but never suc- 
ceeded in singing the right ones at the right time. 
With much energy and enjoyment they sang their 
favorite song, beginning : 

“ ‘ Dear mother,’ said a little fish, 

‘ May I go out to play ? 

I’m very hungry, and I wish 
I’d find a worm to-day.’ ” 

Before they had tempted the little fish, and 
brought him to his death by a fish-hook and line, 
there was a knock at the door. 

“ It may be the President of those old States we’re 
studying about. I don’t believe he knows when 
they each came into the Union and what was the 
population then, to-day, and to-morrow,” whispered 
Daisy, and then she stared while Cora giggled and 
giggled. 

When Miss Ivah’ returned she was followed by a 
little old lady, with white hair, and a little boy with 
head shyly hung and mischief in the corner of his 
eye. 

“ We are to have some visitors this morning. 
We will begin the song over again, so Master Jim 
can hear it.” 

Cora nodded and smiled at the visitors, and in- 


64 


Dear Days 


stantly five pair of eyes demanded an explanation. 
She hastily scrawled something on her slate and 
held it up so all could read : 

“ They live next door to me!' 

As she was rubbing off the sentence, Miss Ivah 
turned around and said, in surprise, Cora, didn’t 
you understand? We are to sing now. You can 
clean your slate later.” 

“All right’m,” said Cora, with wonderful com- 
posure, but the girls could hardly sing because of 
their suppressed mirth. 

“There, Jimmy dear, don’t you think that’s a 
pretty song ?” asked the old lady. 

“ Nope,” responded Jimmy dear. 

“ Oh, yes it is. That is a beautiful little song. I 
think it’s nice in the little girls to know it without 
the book. Miss Gannet, what book is it in ? I’m 
fixing up a box for the little heathen, and I think 
they’d be so pleased with the piece. Such a nice 
moral, you know. Will you write me the name 
of the book ? I’ll hunt in every store in the 
city for it. I’d like to send a dozen copies to 
the little heathen children. Poor things ! They 
haven’t any pretty little dresses and aprons and 
nice teachers and books and a school, as these 


The Masculine Gender 65 

nice little girls have. Aren’t you sorry for them, 
Jimmy dear?” 

Nope.” 

“ Oh, now, Jimmy dear, nice little boys are sorry. 
Wouldn’t you like to come here every day and 
study and sing that pretty little song ?” 

Jimmy dear silently twirled his cap. 

Wouldn’t you, Jimmy dear ? These nice little 
girls will study with you and you can sing all the 
time. At home, you know, you have only poor old 
grandma, and she isn’t worth much.” 

Don’t like to study. I’d get tired of singing.” 

“ There’ll be nice little studies here, and you 
needn’t sing if you don’t want to. You can come 
and try. I know you’ll like it. Don’t you think 
you would, Jimmy dear ?” 

Don’t know,” he jerked out as he shyly re- 
turned Anna’s smile. That reminded Mrs. Strand 
of something. 

I hope you little girls will be real good to my 
little boy. He is shy, and if you kind o’ coax 
him, like I do, maybe some day I’ll bring you a box 
of candy.” She smiled and nodded, and then half- 
opened the door. ‘'Well, Jimmy dear, will you 
stay here now or come to-morrow?” 

5 


66 


Dear Days 


’Morrow,” he gasped, and clung to her skirts. 

“Well, you needn’t be frightened,” — laughingly. 
“These little girls won’t hurt you.” 

As the door closed after the visitors the scholars 
looked at one another. They were amazed and 
indignant at this open attempt to bribe them before 
the child. 

“ I wonder if she thought we would beat him ?” 
growled Anna. She hardly knew what made her 
feel so downcast. She must have had a dim per- 
ception of the promise in the child and the incapa- 
bility of the grandmother to train him with loving 
wisdom. 

“ We aren’t heathen — ” began Bessie, but that 
caused a long season of laughter and giggling. 
They had faithfully restrained themselves during 
the declaration of Mrs. Strand’s intentions, but it 
was impossible to suppress all comment. 

“ Did you ever hear anything so — ” 

“ She’s a grown up — ” 

“Think of the missionaries teaching that song, in- 
stead of ‘ Jesus loves me.’ And Miss Ivah never — ” 
^ “Wouldn’t you like to be there when they open 
the box — ” 

Each girl began a sentence, but was unable to 


The Masculine Gender 67 

finish it. The matter was too astonishing and 
ridiculous to be completely discussed. 

“We would be good to him, anyway. I think 
he’s cute,” said Bessie. 

“ I believe he’s a perfect imp and will be lots of 
fun,” said Daisy. 

“ He’s only four, and he ain’t her grandson or 
no relation. She just adopted him. I don’t know 
where she got him,” said Cora. 

“ Do the two live alone ?” asked Anna. 

“ No, there’s Mrs. Strand’s married daughter 
and her husband, and they’re crazier than Mrs. 
Strand. Jimmy’s pretty bad, but he ain’t got nothin’ 
to make him good. None of ’em know how to 
manage him. They let him do what he oughtn’t, 
and fuss at him like mad when he’s doin’ what 
won’t hurt nothin’. Sometimes they beat him. I 
kin hear him yellin’.” 

The girls had never seen Cora so much aroused. 
They admired the indignation and the new anima- 
tion it gave her face. They did not care to com- 
ment on her statement. 

At half-past nine the next morning, Jimmy slowly 
walked up the brick path. Miss Ivah waited for 
him to ring the bell, but Nettie reported that he 


68 


Dear Days 


just stood there kicking his heels against a post of 
^the porch, and so she offered to let him in. 

“Why are you late, Jimmy?” asked Miss Ivah. 

“ Didn’t want to come. She made me.” 

He backed against the door and softly continued 
the kicking. 

“ I will consider you a visitor and excuse you 
this time. But after this you must come at nine 
o’clock. Where would you like to put your little 
chair ?” 

Jimmy glanced up, dropped his eyes and said 
nothing. 

“You can have it anywhere.” 

“ By her.” 

He jerked the words out and pointed to Anna. 

Anna was delighted, and turned the contents of 
her desk topsy-turvy for his benefit while the 
others recited. She was now a class of one in all 
studies but arithmetic. Three months of regular 
work had enabled her to master each day’s lessons 
without so trying an effort as at first. So she had 
asked for longer tasks, and was consequently ahead 
of the others. She was never put back by an ill -pre- 
pared lesson, as were the rest. When her lazy times 
came, she learned her hfstory and geography as a 


The Masculine Gender 


69 


parrot learns, without taxing anything but her good 
memory. But she always scorned herself after she 
had studied in that superficial and temporary way, 
and so her lazy times were few. 

Little Jim’s people sent him to school because it 
was a safe place and they would be rid of the care 
of him for many hours of each day, and not because 
they wished him to study ; and Miss Ivah had been 
requested to make school a pleasant play of which 
he would not tire. To the older scholars, his les- 
sons, paper-weaving and other occupations were 
real play, and they stopped dawdling over their 
own tasks that they might share in his. He 
smiled slyly at them all and graciously accepted 
their assistance, but to Anna only did he talk. In 
return for that favor, she willingly cut paper houses, 
boats, soldiers’ caps, handkerchiefs, and all sorts of 
men and women. Each day, when the word of 
release was spoken, he flung them all in the waste- 
basket and the next morning demanded more. 

They were very good friends, but Anna did not 
dare to be left alone with him in the room. He 
had an idea that if he tipped up the back of her 
wheel-chair, it would make her get up and walk, 
as he had to do when his playmates tried to tumble 


70 


Dear Days 


him. Several times he had attempted to experi- 
ment, and Anna had explained that there was no 
possibility of her being able to oblige him. 

“You just won’t,” he had stubbornly answered. 
“ Let me whip you. That’ll make you run.” 

He had a hard struggle with the alphabet, and 
the girls often admired Miss Ivah’s patience and 
gentleness with him. 

“ Miss Ivah, are you having such a hard time 
with your alphabet?” suddenly asked Bessie one 
day. 

Miss Ivah wondered what form of mischief lay 
back of the question. 

“You see, we children are the letters. Anna, 
Bessie, Cora and Daisy are the first four letters, 
and Mattie, Nettie and Jim are the odd ones. 
You’re studying us so you’ll know how to make us 
learn, aren’t you ?” 

“ Why, yes I am ; and I hope I won’t shirk my 
study.” 

“ Oh, never mind the moral,” grunted Daisy. 

The next morning Daisy and Bessie put a letter 
on Miss Ivah’s table, giggling so much as they did 
so, that the others begged to know the contents. 
They were virtuously scornful of the ill-mannered 


The Masculine Gender 


71 

curiosity. While Miss Ivah read it, all watched 
expectantly. 

“You naughty children,” she said laughingly. 
“ How much time did you spend on your lessons 
last night?” 

“ Read it out ’loud. They’re so curious they’ll 
die if they don’t know,” said Daisy. 

So Miss Ivah read : 

To THE School-Mistress. 

Thinking that Miss Ivah Gannet would be glad of help in 
her study of the Alphabet, two able and well-known 
writers of this city. Miss Daisy foy and Miss 
Bessie May, sub?nit their explanatio7t 
of a part of 
THE ALPHABET. 

A — an awfully ambitious scholar (much ability). 

B — a bright, beautiful scholar (much backbone). 

C — a calm, co7npanionable scholar (poor complexion). 

D — a darned debonair scholar (very daring). 

J — a ju7nping-jack scholar (real jolly). 

M — a merry, 7nischievous scholar (very meritorious). 

N — a nice negligent scholar (rather naughty). 

N. B. — With apologies for the swear word. The dictionary 
would not give another good one. 


CHAPTER VIL 


ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION. 

UESS what !” said Anna. 

Her tone roused curiosity in the four girls 
who were slipping off their coats and hats. 

“ We are to have a new teacher.” 

“Instead of Miss Ivah ?” cried Daisy. “You 
don’t mean it. Oh, dear !” 

“ I didn’t say we were to lose a teacher. We’re 
to have another added on. Miss Ivah’s sister.” 

“ Oh, I’m scared of her. What’s the matter with 
Miss Ivah?” groaned Bessie. “ I shall tell her she 
must teach us to-day or let us go home. Wouldn’t 
that be great ?” 

“She has gone. You won’t see her till to-mor- 
row,” said Anna. “ Oh, she did look too pretty ! 
Have any of you seen her Sunday coat and hat ? 
Well, the coat is light brown, and so smooth and 
shiny ; and the hat is brown, too, with blue in it ; 
and she had fur around her neck, and her cheeks 

were pinker than you’ve ever seen them, and she 
(72 ) 


Addition and Subtraction 


73 

just looked fine ! I wish people could wear their 
best clothes all the time.” 

“You ought to see my best clothes. I’m as 
pretty as Bessie, on Sunday,” said Daisy. 

“ Why don’t you wear them here one day and 
let me see ?” 

“ I can’t. I asked mama and she said no. 
I’ll try her again, though. Maybe she’ll forget 
she didn’t want me to.” 

“ You’ll have to behave to-day. Miss Ivah’s sister 
ain^t goin’ to let you cut up none,” said Cora. “ She 
was a public-school teacher before she got married. 
I reckon she’s spanked a boy many a time.” 

“ The idea !” said Anna. “ That kind of punish- 
ment isn’t allowed, and I don’t believe Miss Vesta 
would do it, anyhow. You know we said she was 
pleasant-looking. I don’t believe she’d have to 
take a whip to make anybody mind.” 

“ Are you going to call her Miss Vesta?” asked 
Nettie. “She’s married, you know.” 

“ But I don’t know her married name, and I 
shan’t ask her, so I’ll have to say Miss Vesta. It 
just suits her, because it sounds so big and — 
dignified — and like — like somebody that says what 
you’re to do — oh, I don’t know.” 


74 


Dear Days 


“You’re thinking about Queen Esther,” said 
Daisy. “ But we’ll say Miss Vesta, of course, 
because a teacher hasn’t any business to be married. 
We’ll just forget her old husband.” 

“ He isn’t an old husband at all !” said Anna 
with dignity. She was vexed with herself because 
she could not express her thought, and cross be- 
cause they did not have the thought themselves 
and stupidly belittled her knowledge. If anybody 
knew the Bible, she ought to know it, after the way 
her mother had taught it to her and the way she 
had told Bible stories to Clifford. She hoped she 
knew when she was thinking of Queen Esther and 
when she was not ! 

“Oh, he isn’t!” said Daisy teasingly. “He’s 
some sort of a husband, though, isn’t he ?” 

Anna was tempted to be contemptuous, but con- 
quered her crossness and laughed. “ Often in the 
morning, as I come in, he is going out and he 
speaks so nicely. I do like dark-haired men, and 
I just know this one is nicer than his looks.” 

“He looks more like a German than the 
Gannets do,” said Cora. “ I seen him once or 
twice.” 

“ Well, I hope his wife won’t take a fancy to sit 


Addition and Subtraction 75 

down on me,” sighed Daisy. “ I don’t feel very 
quiet to-day.” 

Cora giggled. “ She’d squash you to nothing 
if she did. Oh, my ! She’s lots bigger and fatter 
than Miss Ivah. Oh, here she comes. Hush ! Git 
in your seats and don’t move a finger.” 

Good-morning, girls. Miss Ivah had to be 
away to-day, so I am to be her substitute. I think 
we can work together honestly, so she will not be 
disappointed.” 

As the new teacher greeted the scholars they ex- 
amined her thoroughly. She was taller than Miss 
Ivah and largely built. Her walk and every move- 
ment were firm. She had black hair that waved 
about her head, and brown eyes that never over- 
looked anything. Her smile was as pleasant as 
Miss Ivah’s, but not so generous or excusing. 
The girls felt that it was strictly for the well-be- 
haved and industrious. 

“ Instead of reading a chapter, I would like 
each one of you to say a verse. Miss Daisy?” 

Ma’am?” said Daisy, startled. 

Cora giggled in one breath, and then breathed 
rapidly to avoid a repetition of the offence. She 
had been to public school and knew that the 


7 6 Dear Days 

one thus addressed must immediately stand and 
recite. 

“ I wish you to begin.” Miss Vesta allowed her 
voice to express surprise at the misunderstanding. 

Miss Cora, did you speak ?” 

“ No’m.” 

“ Then we will have the first verse.” 

‘ Let your women keep silence in the church- 
es,’ ” blurted Daisy. I couldn’t think of any 
other. That made me mad when I read it and I’ve 
never forgotten it.” 

“This is not the place for confession of your 
sins. The rest will please give a verse without 
comment.” 

That tone was a checkmate for Daisy, and before 
school was dismissed each girl had received the 
same at different times. Bessie had hers because 
of the lesson she was always the most sure about. 

“ Miss Ivah planned an examination in arithmetic 
for the first lesson. You see she has put the test 
examples on the board.” Miss Vesta lifted the 
blackboard and turned the other side out. “ There 
are not many. We will have perfect quiet while 
you work them.” 

There was one example more than Miss Ivah had 


Addition and Subtraction 77 

ever given them at a time, and Bessie thought it 
was very hard. She took her slate-pencil from her 
desk and, reaching over for Anna’s pencil-sharp- 
ener, half-rose from her seat. Then she colored 
and raised her hand. 

“ May I sharpen my pencil over the waste- 
basket?” she asked meekly. At any other time 
she would have gone to the basket without a 
thought of getting permission. 

“ Have you not another pencil that is sharp ? 
Then do it quickly. You must not annoy the others.” 

Bessie impatiently eyed the examples as she 
rubbed the pencil from one end of the indented iron 
to the other, making the white dust fall to thq floor. 

‘‘You are not attending to your work. Miss 
Bessie,” said Miss Vesta. 

' Bessie hastily moved her hands and then looked 
up with an engaging smile. “ Miss Vesta, are 
those examples nearly all alike, or are they like— 
a flower from every plant in the garden ?” 

“ A lazy motive prompted you. Miss Bessie. If 
I should tell you that, I might as well do all of the 
work for you.” 

The voice was low and even, and only tinged 
with surprise, but it hinted that much was reserved. 


78 


Dear Days 


Bessie made peace by instant surrender and steady 
attention to the examples. But after half an hour 
Daisy chose to rebel. 

“ I wish you would tell. It wouldn’t hurt you, 
and these are nasty old things ! It’s like stringing 
beads. If you’d tell me what color you want me 
to take I could make more in an hour.” She said 
it in the daring, mock-complaining way that had 
always made Miss Ivah smile. 

Miss Vesta merely gazed at her. 

Just then an organ-grinder stopped directly in 
front of the school and began to play Get on the 
Mobile Buck.” Cora caught her foot on the chair- 
leg as she sprang to the window, but she only gig- 
gled and exclaimed. 

Oh, I reckon he’s got a monkey. Yes, there 
he is ! Ain’t he cute ? Come look at him, girls. 
Any of you got a penny?” 

Anna wondered if she would have been thought- 
less enough to join the group at the window if she 
could have done so. She dared not look up, but 
she felt Miss Vesta’s steady gaze at the six culprits ! 
In the middle of “Annie Rooney,” the stillness of 
the room and the passing of time came to the con- 
sciousness of Nettie. She hastily glanced around 


Addition and Subtraction 


79 


and then grabbed the girls next to her ; music 
lost its charm, and they meekly seated themselves 
and waited. 

It seems that you think me incapable of teach- 
ing a school,” began Miss Vesta. “As I under- 
stand it, a teacher must do more than make a 
scholar learn so many pages of a book each day. 
She must do more than explain anything that is 
difficult to understand. A teacher must teach a 
child how to help itself — how to control and use 
wisely its power to study, to play, or to help others, 
so it will grow into what it should be. I taught many 
years in a public school, and I intend to teach one 
day in a private school. You will find it much easier 
if you regard me as a friend rather than an enemy. 
Shall we see if we can, without punishment, use 
this incident for the betterment of your behavior?” 

Six subdued girls nodded. Jim kept on staring. 
He had not spoken a word since he came and found 
that Miss Ivah was not to be there. 

The clock struck twelve. Miss Vesta did not 
stop correcting the examples on Mattie’s slate. Six 
subdued girls waited. Miss Vesta gave the slate 
back to Mattie, then stepped to the blackboard and 
began to write a sentence. All could tell that it was 


8o 


Dear Days 


to be used in the grammar lesson after recess. One, 
two, three, four sentences were written. Six sub- 
dued scholars sighed. Bessie tried to see Anna’s 
watch, and Anna turned it so she could see that the 
minute hand pointed to seven minutes past twelve. 

Miss Vesta put down the chalk and smilingly 
turned to the girls. School is dismissed. I shall 
not ring the bell until twenty minutes to one,” she 
said, and then left the room. 

“ Bless me and my soul !” said Daisy. Of course 
it was she who began, 

“ Three minutes extra recess for bad behavior,” 
chuckled Nettie. “ My ! but I felt funny when I 
turned around. Anna, why didn’t you say some- 
thing to us?” 

“ I didn’t dareT 

Of course not. — You hush up!” Daisy used 
her hand as a lock for Nettie’s mouth. Those 
three minutes show that Miss Vesta ain’t nasty. 
Anna, don’t you like her?” 

Ever so much. It’s nice to have somebody to 
make you mind, isn’t it?” 

‘‘Yes, I like somebody you’re scared of. My 
goodness I You wouldn’t want to fool much with 
Miss Vesta.” 


Addition and Subtraction 8i 

Would you rather have Miss Vesta than Miss 
Ivah ? I wouldn’t,” said Cora. 

The girls hesitated and frowned over the puzzling 
matter, and could not make a choice. 

“Well,” began Daisy. “Well, I — it’s nice to 
have your teacher laugh and understand things 
while she’s teaching, and then it’s nice to have your 
teacher drive you along and make you think you 
couldn’t stop if you wanted to. Oh, well ! Miss 
Ivah’s a dear and gets you to learn, and Miss Vesta 
makes you learn and is awfully nice. I’d like to 
have ’em both every day.” 

“ I don’t know.” Bessie shook her head doubt- 
fully. “ Those examples were 411 addition and sub- 
traction in fractions, after all our trying other 
ways ; she might have told us. I’d have felt dread- 
ful if I’d missed; wouldn’t you ?” 

Anna was still waiting for Janet and talking to 
Miss Vesta when Miss Ivah came back. 

“Your girls are nice children, and I enjoyed 
teaching them,” said Miss Vesta. “They were all 
perfect in the arithmetic examination. I think I’ve 
added a few grains to their respect for a teacher 
and subtracted some of their lawlessness.” 


6 


CHAPTER VIII. 


LETTERS A AND D SQUABBLE. 

HE days and weeks of school life went on in 



^ charming peace and order after the substi- 
tute’s teaching of the lesson in addition and sub- 
traction. 

The scholars had stopped to think, and were 
true-hearted and sensible enough to see that whin- 
ing and rebelling were not honorable parts of 
the day’s routine. They had not before realized 
that although their behavior might be funny to 
them, it could not be considered pretty by either 
scholars or teacher. It was an unflattering glimpse 
of themselves which made them begin to get all 
the fun they could out of keeping rules with strict 
honesty. In that Miss Ivah could be entirely with 
them and have her share of the fun. Frisking, 
joking and teasing were still most evidently alive, 
but each girl was a faithful police who sternly kept 
it within bounds. 

It’s funny how you can go on being mean for 


(82) 


Letters A and D Squabble 83 

so long and not know it,” said Daisy. “ I say fair 
play even at school.” 

‘^Yes, but Miss Ivah’s getting to be 'most as strict 
as Miss Vesta,” sighed Bessie. “ I just believe she 
was studying her old Alphabet all that time, and 
now she knows in her mind just how to make her 
letters.” Bessie always offered a charming little 
laugh as an excuse for her absurd speeches. 

Well, she’s got to make me a nice one or I’ll 
make myself,” asserted Daisy. I don’t want to 
be spoiled and rubbed out.” 

“Then do let Miss Ivah have the job, because 
you make fearful said Nettie. “ I never saw 

such scratches. You make the little ring at the 
bottom so big you don’t leave any room to make 
a big fat one at the top.” 

The critic is ever in a dangerous position. Nettie 
was leaning over her long cloth bag, from which 
she was unloading numerous books. After her 
impartial and calm judgment she was sent to the 
floor by a firm hand, and her books dropped down 
upon her. 

“ They’ll do for the spattering of ink you didn’t 
mention,” said Daisy with mock fierceness. “ I’m 
the little ring, and I don’t leave any room for the 


84 


Dear Days 


big fat one. You do weigh a hundred and fifty, 
don’t you ? Get up and we’ll settle this. If you 
can push me out in the hall I make my Us another 
way, but if I push you out, then my D s are just 
the right way to make ’em.” 

Bessie and Anna exchanged glances of delight 
at this declaration of a contest, but Anna added a 
sigh for a surety against something broken. How- 
ever, a struggle was so gloriously exciting that 
damages and consequences were not thought of 
again. 

An inch to one side, a couple to the other, and a 
sudden lurch back was the record of the first minute. 
The puffing, panting and stops for giggling were 
the unceasing accompaniments. Severe knocks on 
the elbows and skinning of shins were borne with- 
out a grumble or a groan. It was not an equal 
contest, because Nettie was stronger and more 
heavily built. Up to the door she forced her 
antagonist, but then she had a harder struggle to 
get it open. That was the most exciting and 
fluctuating part. Daisy put all her strength and 
will in the effort to keep that door closed. It was 
pulled open an inch and then shut with a bang ; 
jerked open six inches and slowly forced back ; 


Letters A and D Squabble 85 

and at last flung wide open, and against Miss Ivah’s 
chair, with a crash. Nettie half turned to grip 
Daisy more securely, and then her forehead bumped 
against Cora’s ! 

There was a cry of triumph, two groans, the 
suspended breath of two people, and a shower of 
candy that dropped from a box and rolled over the 
floor. Three pair of eyes were fixed on the hands 
wildly nursing the injured foreheads. No one dared 
speak till Cora dropped her hand and giggled. 

‘‘Oh, it’s just like — oh, my! — it’s just like two 
chocolate drops stuck on your face 1” gasped 
Bessie, as she pointed to the small round lumps 
that had quickly raised. “ I never saw brown 
bruises I” 

Nettie was not accustomed to giggling over 
everything, so she preferred not to discuss her 
wound. “ Where did all that candy come from ?” 
she asked. 

“ I was rushin’ in to show you, when you bust 
open that door and clean knocked the sense out of 
me,” said Cora. “ Oh, Miss Ivah, look 1 Did 
you think your house was cornin’ down ?” 

“ I could not imagine — why, girls ! Come up 
stairs and let me attend to those bruises.” 


86 


Dear Days 


Miss Ivah stood in the doorway to avoid step- 
ping on the candy. When she returned it had 
been picked up and divided into six piles, one on 
each desk. 

“ We guessed it was that prize for being good,” 
said Bessie. “Was it?” 

“ That’s what it is. Mrs. Strand called me this 
mornin’ and told me to give it to you all for bein’ 
so sweet to Jim. He ain’t cornin’ any more. He 
likes it, and would rather be here than home with 
*poor grandma,’ but he’d rather play in the street 
than do anything, and she’s tired of makin’ him 
stop. It’s a one-pound box,” Cora did not try 
to hide her scorn for the gift and the giver. 

“ We didn’t want her to send any, but by the 
way she talked I thought she would give — half a 
pound for each of us, anyway said Bessie. 

“ It’s not the best candy, either,” added Anna. 
“ I do wish they wouldn’t put pink cream inside of 
chocolate drops.” 

“ Don’t be so finical. But I’ll take your share 
if you don’t want it,” said Daisy, grabbing. 

“ I do want it. I earned it, let me tell you. I 
didn’t want pay, but I’ll eat it. Ugh !” Anticipat- 
ing a delicious taste she had bitten into a chocolate 


Letters A and D Squabble 87 

drop. Why will they put that nasty peppermint 
in them ?” 

The girls were sorry to lose their little pet; 
he had been a subject of mutual care. When, after- 
wards, they first met him on the street he immedi- 
ately edged away from them as if they had power to 
make him leave his beloved street and enter the 
school-room. But when he found that they only 
smiled and nodded at him, he always began to re- 
turn the compliment when they were still far off. 

Anna and Daisy were the best spellers in the 
school. Each afternoon Miss Ivah put on the 
blackboard a list of words which the girls had to 
copy and take home to study. It was soon a 
regular thing for Anna to make three copies, two 
of which were given to the girls in turn, so they 
would be relieved of the labor. Sometimes she 
made a copy for every one of them, but that was 
considered too handsome a gift for everyday presen- 
tation. It was often very inconvenient and tiresome 
to be accurate so many times, and she had to make 
use of every minute to do it. But how pleased 
and proud she was to be allowed to do something 
for those dear, funny girls ! When they politely pro- 
tested, she declared that she almost knew her spell- 


88 


Dear Days 


ing-lesson when she had finished writing, so it 
saved her the trouble of studying it. 

Miss Ivah always called out the words while the 
scholars wrote them down, and then called them 
again while each corrected another’s paper. Daisy 
and Anna always expressed gladness when they 
could return perfect papers, and sympathized when- 
ever they were compelled to check off a word, and 
yet each was joyful when she could get ahead of 
the other. The rivalry v/as sharp and steady, but 
perfectly honest and kindly. 

One Monday morning Daisy’s manner was notice- 
ably self-important, and immediately jarred on Anna. 

“ Oh, Anna, you should have seen Daisy’s 
brothers yesterday !” exclaimed Bessie. “ They’ve 
been taken into the vested choir, and they do look 
too sweet in their white robes ! You’d have thought 
they were angels walking up the aisle, they looked 
so good, and as if they’d never slapped Daisy in 
their lives.” 

“They aren’t angels, but they did look lovely,” 
said Daisy, proudly. “ Mama had an awful time 
getting the robes ready. She didn’t know they 
were to be in it till late, and she had a time getting 
them washed.” 


Letters A and D Squabble 89 

Nettie burst into loud laughter at this confusion 
of pronouns. I’d be ashamed to tell it of my 
brothers, Daisy Joy !” 

Any mention of these brothers made Anna 
decidedly cross and envious because they did not 
belong to her. She thought that if she could not 
go about like others, she might have had some 
older brothers to be proud of. 

“ Then you are Episcopal,” she said in a horri- 
fied tone, which was not really half as horrified as 
she was. “Why, they are next to the Catholics !” 

“They a:!n’t anything of the kind!” snapped 
Daisy. “ Catholics are nasty, and we ain’t 1” 

Anna had never known an Episcopalian, and so 
all the people of that church were joined to and 
mixed with the Catholics in her mind. Clifford 
would never let her read a book to him which had 
in it anything about the Catholics. Although she 
laughed and wondered at his prejudice, she vaguely 
abhorred what she thought was merely a show in- 
stead of the genuine faith. 

Daisy resentfully turned to Bessie and began a 
conversation about a former girl neighbor. 

“ She used to be real nice and pretty, but now 
she’s as stuck up and ugly as sin. There ain’t 


90 


Dear Days 


anything for her to be stuck up over, but she 
brags and brags and brags all the time. She can 
have this if she wants to, and go there if she wants 
to, but she never has any of it, and doesn’t go at 
all ! Her house isn’t as big as ours !” 

“ Must be a nice girl. Who is she?” asked Net- 
tie, and Anna silently thanked her for asking the 
question which she did not care to ask herself. 

Myra Barker. She used to be real fun, — didn’t 
she, Bessie?” 

*‘What makes her boast, if she hasn’t any- 
thing?” asked Nettie, and again Anna thanked 
her. 

“ Well, her father is M. M. Barker, the Com- 
missioner, but that’s nothing ! I’m as good as she 
is, if he is a Commissioner, and she needn’t be so 
uppish.” 

Now it was that Anna found a flaw in one of her 
idols. She had laughed at, but liked, the con- 
servatism which made Daisy despise public schools 
and slow to be friendly with any but those of her 
own world. But here she was cheapening an 
office of the government, and had not a word of 
praise for the man who could be chosen to fill it, 
or a particle of esteem for his daughter. 


Letters A and D Squabble 91 

I think it’s a great deal !” Anna cried. “ It’s a 
fine thing to be chosen Commissioner, and I’d be 
awfully proud if my father was one, and I know 
you would, too ! It’s just because he isn’t, that you 
talk that way. I think it’s mean and low to be 
jealous of a girl just because she is higher up in 
the world than you are !” 

The girls stared, and then quickly Daisy made 
peace. She could not comprehend the thoughts 
and feelings that had caused Anna’s scorn, and so it 
was only comical to her. In one minute she had 
stepped on her chair and then on the desk. 

She ain’t any higher up in the world than me 
she cried, waving her arms. 

Anna came down from her superior height and 
laughed convulsively. She was glad to be friends 
again, and was tickled at Daisy’s quickness. Of 
course she must not expect any one to know more 
than they can at their age. 

“ Do you like Daisy or Bessie the best ?” asked 
Janet, as she wheeled Anna down the path that 
afternoon. “ I met them playing at the corner.” 

Anna thought a minute and found she did not 
know. Daisy usually said “ ain’t ” and Bessie 
always said isn’t.” Anna preferred to use the 


92 


Dear Days 


latter, but she liked Daisy’s “ain’t” as well as 
Bessie’s “isn’t.” Janet’s question harassed her 
because she had no answer for it. 

“ I wish I could decide which I like best,” she 
muttered to herself. “ Daisy or Bessie, Bessie or 
Daisy. It’s Bessie ; no, Daisy ; I mean Daisy ; no, 
Bessie. What a muddle. Oh, dear ! What is my 
mind for, anyway ?” 


CHAPTER IX. 


GHOSTS. 


N offensive odor penetrated the closed door 



of the dining-room where Miss Ivah, Miss 
Vesta and their parents were enjoying their noon 
meal. They stopped eating and looked at each 


other. 


What is that?” demanded Miss Vesta. It is 
not anything cooking in this house, and the win- 
dows are not up. Those children !” 

Something is scorching. I must go to see what 
it is,” answered Miss Ivah with dignity. “ So long 
as the mischief is thoughtless I do not complain. 
They are dear children.” 

She hurried through the hall and opened the 
school-room door. Almost total darkness met her 
intent gaze, and the odor came then with obnox- 
ious distinctness. 

What are you doing, and what is that I 


smell ?” 


A minute of silence, and then a chorus of groans. 


( 93 ) 


94 


Dear Days 


Dead men’s bones !” came in a scarey whisper. 
‘^Trespass not on these domains. Beware !” 

This was at once puzzling and ridiculous. “ Are 
you all there? Tell me what this means,” said 
Miss Ivah imperatively. 

Beware ! We are ghosts ! Depart !” Moans 
and groans backed this command. 

Miss Ivah felt her way to the bay-window, 
opened a blind and flung up the shade. Then she 
turned to confront five ghosts with white en- 
shrouded heads, who dumbly circled around her 
and wildly waved ten arms. From a corner which 
was still dark came disconnected moaning, a tiny 
flame of fire, and that fearful smell. Miss Ivah el- 
bowed her way through the solemn ghosts to the 
corner. 

‘‘Anna, what are you doing?” 

Anna stopped moaning, and laughed ; but she 
tightly held the toy candlestick and went on burn- 
ing a lock of hair in the flickering flame. 

“ It’s nasty, isn’t it ? But this is the last one. 
This is our badge, no — we are initiating — that is, 
it’s a sort of — well, I don’t know what to call it. 
But we have to burn all our hair before we can be 
ghosts.” 


Ghosts 


95 


I presume you don’t mean what you say,” said 
Miss Ivah, and then the girls knew that she was 
not angry. “ What will your mothers say ?” 

“ Oh, it’s just a little piece from each head. No 
one could tell. We had to cut it in the dark, and 
Daisy was in a hurry when she did mine, so she 
got the front instead of the back,” said Anna. 
There was a subdued snicker from one of the mo- 
tionless ghosts. It’s going to look very funny, I 
know. But it’s good it was my hair that was cut 
wrong. I don’t mind, and my mother won’t fret. 
She’ll be glad I’m having such a lot of fun. The 
girls say I am Great Caesar’s Ghost, so I tell them 
what to do.” 

Miss Ivah could not help laughing, though she 
did not in the least admire the play. “ Are ghosts 
supposed to wear their hair down their backs and 
those funny caps on their heads ? Nettie, will 
you please open all the blinds?” 

That request made the ghosts loud-mouthed and 
clamorous. 

“ Oh, Miss Ivah, what made you come and spoil 
it all!” exclaimed Bessie. “You aren’t going to 
make us stop ? It’s recess^ and we won’t hurt any- 
thing. It’s such fun to scare ourselves that way. 


96 


Dear Days 


We had to let our hair down to get the ends to 
burn. See, we put our aprons on back side fore- 
most and pulled the skirts over our heads.” 

“That’s all the white we have, but when we 
huddle to the floor you can’t see much but our 
heads, so it’s all right,” added Daisy. “ Here, let’s 
show her.” 

Miss Ivah gave herself up to mirth as she viewed 
the crouching figures, and Cora giggled so sympa- 
thetically that she tumbled over. 

“We thought of asking our mothers to let us 
bring nightgowns to put over our dresses, but 
we’re sure they won’t,” said Daisy. “ Have you 
got any to lend us ?” 

“ I really can’t oblige you, and I must ask you 
not to repeat this performance.” 

“ I won’t let them break anything. Miss Ivah,” 
said Nettie. “You don’t mind if we darken up 
every day at recess, do you ?” 

Miss Ivah wavered. “ I’m not sure I approve 
of make-believe ghosts. It may be harmful to your 
nerves to frighten yourselves so.” 

“Why, we’re all as strong as can be, except 
Anna, and she likes it. She’s going to tell us 
ghost stories after we’re all burnt. She says she 


Ghosts • 


97 


knows a lot of them that she’s read,” pleaded 
Bessie. *‘And Mattie isn’t frightened a bit. She 
thinks it’s fun ; don’t you, Mattie ?” 

“ There ain’t any ghosts and they can’t hurt 
you,” answered Mattie with slow scorn. I ain’t 
afraid. We’re just playing ghost.” 

Well, have your fun, then ; but you must burn 
no more hair.” 

Oh, Miss Ivah, she ain’t done mine and hers 
yet,” protested Cora. “Just that little bit can’t 
make it smell any worse.” 

“ Very well. Anna, will you promise to consult 
your watch and have the room as usual by half-past 
twelve, so that no time will be wasted on the ghosts?” 

“ I will. While I’m burning the hair I’ll sing 
them something. It is not about a ghost, but it’s 
rather ghostly.” 

Nettie followed Miss Ivah to the hall, but came 
back after a moment and darkened the room and 
joined the group crouched around Anna. The 
music of the piece was like a dirge, and required 
quick sighs and terrifying prolonged notes in odd 
places. With fearful effect Anna sang : 

“ There was an old woman all skin and bones, 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m. 

7 


98 


Dear Days 


She thought she’d go to church one day 
To hear the parson preach and pray ; 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m. 

And when she got to the churchyard stile 
She thought she’d stop and rest a while ; 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m.” 

At the mention of the woman’s rest, the strained 
nerves of the girls found relief in sighs. They 
huddled a little closer and breathed rapidly. 

“ And when she got to the churchyard door 
She thought she’d rest a little more ; 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m.” 

This second rest was hard to bear. It only 
prolonged suspense and made them feel more 
creepy as they wondered what was coming next. 

“ She then looked up, she then looked down, 

She spied a corpse upon the ground ; 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m.” 

There was a suppressed shriek and a shuddering 
movement to find sustaining hands. Anna recog- 
nized the voice as Bessie’s, and not Mattie’s, so she 
calmly proceeded : 

“ She then unto the parson said, 

‘ Will I look so when I am dead ?’ 

Um — m — m, ah — h — h, um — m. 

The parson then unto her said, 

‘Yes, you’ll — ’” 


Ghosts 


99 


Anna broke off with a loud scream as she blew 
out the candle. She had burned the hair slowly, 
so that the loss of even the tiny light might add to 
the horrible effect of the sudden scream. There 
was fully two minutes of awful silence. Then 
Cora giggled and tickled the form next to her. 
That familiar giggle recalled them from the ghostly 
world of horrible things and they scrambled to 
their feet and exclaimed in every tone. 

I didn’t know you could get up such a scream. 
Miss Ivah’ll come flying in here,” said Bessie. 

“ No, she won’t. I told her to expect it,” said 
Nettie. “ I’ve heard Anna’s mother sing that lots 
and lots of times.” 

“ Oh ! do you remember the night at The Grove 
when that boy ran all the way across the room and 
jumped on his father’s lap ?” laughed Anna. “ He 
was as big as Daisy, too. He said he wanted to 
ask his father something. The idea !” She glanced 
at her watch. “ We’ve j ust two minutes left. H urry 
and open the blinds.” 

You’re to have the worst ghost story you can 
think of for half-past twelve recess to-morrow,” 
commanded Bessie, as Miss Ivah rang for order. 

The next day Anna nervously cleared her throat 

LdfC. 


lOO 


Dear Days 


before she began her task. Well, this is a real 
ghost of my own I shall tell you about,” she began. 
‘‘ Mama and I visited some people in Philadelphia 
once, and they gave us a room on the third floor. 
Every night after dinner we would go to the sitting- 
room on the second floor. The grown people talked 
and talked, so I asked for some books to look at. 
They didn’t have books that were worth anything 
— only one had pictures in it. I looked at the first 
ones for ever and ever so long, and wouldn’t turn 
over a page for a long time, so they’d last and Td 
have some new ones every night I was there. Well, 
I wish I’d never seen the old book ! The first night 
I found—” 

Who wants to hear about an old book ? I 
thought you said you knew a ghost story,” sniffed 
Daisy. 

“The ghost is coming now. I must tell a story 
as I know it,” said Anna, severely. Clifford never 
dared interrupt her when she was telling a story. 
“ I found a little square picture of three people with 
sheets hung over them, and that made the picture all 
white except the two black specks where the eyes 
looked through. One of them was kneeling down 
and the second was standing over it, and the third 


Ghosts 


lOI 


horrid thing was pointing behind itself. Ugh ! They 
made me shivery. I shut that book and tried to 
listen to what the people were saying. I couldn’t 
ask them what the picture meant, because I knew 
my voice would shake and then they would find out 
I was scared. I wondered and wondered, and when 
mama carried me to the top of the house I trembled 
so she asked me what was the matter. Those 
steps were the steepest, narrowest steps you ever 
saw, and I guess they helped to scare me, because I 
was afraid mama would fall and hurt herself and me, 
too. I sat on the bed and my teeth chattered while 
mama struck a match and hunted for the gas-fix- 
ture. There wasn’t any gas on that floor ; in a 
minute somebody brought one little candle. Did you 
ever undress in a room with only one candle? Well, 
only a little bit of the room is light, and the light 
changes, and you keep thinking that if you have to go 
in the dark corners somebody may spring out at you. 
I cuddled up close to mama, but it was a long time 
before I got to sleep, and then in a little while a 
noise woke me up. Oh, what do you think I saw ?” 

Anna made her eyes open wide and stare wildly, 
and for a moment or two she did not seem to hear 
the subdued chorus of inquiries. 


102 


Dear Days 


Oh, right there at the foot of the bed were those 
three things in white ! I wanted to put the cover 
over my head, but I didn’t dare move. Mama had 
moved over to the other side of the bed, and 
I couldn’t even touch her. I was so frightened I 
breathed hard, and, of course, that made a noise. 
Then those awfid things begayi to beckon me! I 
couldn’t see all of the one kneeling, but he was 
doing something with his hands that sounded like 
cracking bones. Oh ! and then the one that was 
bending over opened his mouth, and I could see 
’way back to his throat, and it was the reddest red 
you ever saw. In a minute blood began to drop 
out of his mouth on to the one cracking bones, and 
it wasn’t long before that one’s head was as red as 
fire. I couldn't lie still. I wiggled and wiggled, 
and before I knew it I said, ^Oh, don't!' Oh, what 
do you think the thing said?” 

Not a girl moved or spoke. The red light from 
the fire in the latrobe fell on Nettie and made her 
look like the bloody ghost. 

^ Pepper-pot ! S^noking hot ! Pepper-pot! Five 
cents a pint, nice pepper-pot! ' " said Anna in a high, 
shrill tone and with the gravest of faces. 

The girls were puzzled and inclined to giggle, 


Ghosts 


103 

but they waited for more. At last Daisy said, im- 
patiently, Go on.” 

“ That is all ; only mama turned over to me and 
said, ‘ I wish she would not sell it at night ; but 
pepper-pot is the nicest kind of soup.’ ” 

‘‘What do you mean?” came from Daisy after 
an ominous silence. 

“ I suppose you know that an old white woman 
carries it around in buckets and sells it almost all 
night in Philadelphia, and that pepper-pot is made 
of tripe, and a little potato, and water, and herbs 
that look like little niggers floating around in it.” 

“ I never heard of the stuff, and I don’t thank you 
for telling me,” muttered Daisy. “ It spoiled that 
nice ghost story. You’re a mean thing to fool us so. 
You don’t mean to say you eat that old soup?” 

“ Ugh ! I don’t, but my people do.” 

It was amazing to Miss Ivah to note how long 
that ghost fever lasted. Recess was entirely too 
short a time in which to complete their plans, so 
they formed the habit of going home with Anna 
three days out of the five. The Rodericks’ sitting- 
room could be made densely dark, and there they 
terrified themselves till the dinner-bell sent them 
to their homes. 


CHAPTER X. 


LETTER b’s PARTY. 

B essie may would like the pleasure of Anna 
Roderick’s company, Tuesday, March 22. 
From 4 to 8.” 

These were the fascinating words written on 
a sheet of square note-paper which Anna found on 
her desk one morning. At the top, was a picture 
of a corner turned down, and so revealing a branch 
of a tree with six blue, green and red birds perched 
upon it. The two in the middle smiled at you, 
the two on the right end chatted together and 
the two on the left end leaned forward with open 
beaks to seize the food they seemed to see in 
the distance. Anna was delighted with the dainty 
invitation and its form. When she could stop 
looking at it, she saw that Bessie had put one on 
each desk. 

*^You mean old thing, not to let me know a 
word about it ! Now you just begin and tell me 
everything you’re going to have,” said Daisy. 

( 104) 


Letter B's Party 105 

“Well, all of you girls and Grace Larch and 
Marie Harr and Aunt Elizabeth and — ” 

“ Oh, I know the people you’ll invite ; I guess 
I know your friends as well as you do, miss. What 
are you going to have to eat ?” 

“I don’t know anything about that part. Mama 
is attending to that. She is going to bake the 
birthday cake and have it iced at the confectioner’s. 
They can do it so much better and they make such 
lovely bumps all over it.” 

“ Are you going to have any boys ?” asked Nettie. 
She had many older sisters but no brothers, so the 
presence of boys at the many parties she had attended 
made her feel as though she were almost grown up. 

“No, what do I want to have them for?” asked 
Bessie, indifferently. “ There will be my brother 
Norman, but he’s only a baby. You couldn’t drag 
Claude into the parlor. He’s big for his age, but 
he won’t look at a girl.” 

“ Sometimes he’s scared of me and mama says 
I live at Bessie’s house. Of course we only want 
girls at the party. Boys our age think parties are 
silly and, if they come to ’em, it’s for what they’ll 
get to eat. Greedy old things ! We don’t want 
them,” said Daisy. 


io6 


Dear Days 


Boys aren’t like that at all !” exclaimed Nettie 
hotly. “ We can have a nice time at Bessie’s party 
without them, but I know a lot of ’em that behave 
just as well as girls ! Why, Anna, don’t you know 
what good times the boys and girls had at your 
house last summer at The Grove ? We never had 
anything to eat. We would just go in your front 
room and light the lamp and play games, or we’d 
play ^ Sheep, sheep, run !’ and have the base near 
your house. Then in the morning we’d play tennis, 
and you’d count for us. Tennis wasn’t half as 
much fun without the boys, because you know it’s 
something to beat a boy. I think boys are nice.” 

Daisy and Bessie were still scornful but Anna 
saw both sides of the matter and tried to explain. 

“All those boys and girls went to The Grove 
every summer, and we saw each other every day. 
There wasn’t much for boys of that age to do, so 
they played with the girls in the mornings and 
evenings. You know, in the afternoons, we girls 
read and went to sleep, and they tramped around 
and had lovely times because they didn’t have to try 
to keep clean. It was just like a big family. One 
or two of the girls were silly sometimes, but you 
did have nice times and I enjoyed watching.” 


Letter B's Party 


107 


Something outside attracted the girls and when 
they all ran to the street, Anna added to Miss 
Ivah, 

But I think they would have had lots nicer 
times if the girls had made just friends of the boys 
instead of make-believe beaux. You see they had 
all been brought up on kissing games, and that 
took some of the sense out of them. If they 
wanted to play ‘ Clap in and clap out ’ and ‘ Post- 
. office ’ and ‘ Pillow,’ they played it without all that 
silliness at our house. Most of them thought it 
was lots nicer that way. But they would choose 
out their special favorites in everything and I 
should think they would want to leave all that till 
later. Isn’t there a midway point between Daisy and 
Bessie, and Nettie and those other girls ?” Anna 
was perplexed and she impatiently pushed back 
her hair. 

There ought to be, and I’m sure there is, but 
it is hard to make,” answered Miss Ivah, gravely. 
“ I think Nettie’s way begins when the mothers 
think it cunning for the babies to choose a favorite 
and talk, in their childish way, about their beaux and 
sweethearts. It is unfair, because it really deprives 
them of true pleasure and friendliness by and by. 


io8 


Dear Days 


Time will change Daisy’s and Bessie’s way easily 
and naturally. Perhaps, at first, they will be a little 
constrained, but it seems to me they will have the 
better chance to conduct themselves sweetly and 
sensibly with every one. But we can’t help our 
neighbors to rear their children, can we ?” 

That afternoon Anna proudly and yet doubtfully 
showed her invitation to her family. “ Isn’t it nice 
in her to ask us all ? Of course she would have 
Daisy, and she knew Nettie before, but she didn’t 
have to have Cora and Mattie and me. I don’t 
know what to do about going.” 

“ Think about it a little while. Papa can take 
you there, easily, if you feel like it,” said Mrs. 
Roderick. “ How is it with Bessie — do you think 
she really wants you ?” The matter-of-fact ques- 
tion revealed the wise way in which the Roderick 
family treated their invalid. Not from any false 
sense of delicacy, or under any consideration would 
they allow her to trouble any one and so distress 
herself. 

“ Well, before Bessie went home she asked me 
if I could go, and said there were seven steps at 
her house, and that her father could help with the 
chair. Daisy said to be sure to go if I could. But 


Letter B's Party 109 

I wasn’t sure that they were not just trying to be 
kind and polite.” 

Perhaps you can tell better to-morrow. If you 
don’t go you won’t have to stand an after headache, 
and there are other nice things. We will borrow 
a nice book for that night,” said Mrs. Roderick, 
smiling. 

Anna would have resented any more unusual 
compensation. She despised the weakness of a 
child who must be bribed to bear deprivation. She 
did not want pity or sympathy. What she herself 
could not have she turned away from, or else en- 
joyed watching some other person have it. 

I ain’t going to write to you to tell you I’m 
coming. Miss Bessie, and the rest needn’t be so 
stuck up as to do it,” said Daisy the next day. 
“You know we wouldn’t miss it for anything, so 
that’s all there is to it. Anna, what did your 
mother say about your going?” 

Then Anna proceeded to feel her way. “ Mama 
said that if it was convenient for Mrs. May, I could 
do as I chose. I think I will go if I am well 
enough.” 

Bessie flung her arms around Anna and squeezed 
her. “Oh, I am so glad,” she said. “You haven’t 


I lO 


Dear Days 


missed a single day from school, so of course you’ll 
be well enough. It won’t be a bit hard for you to 
get there.” 

“ Mama says I can go and wear my new dress,” 
said Mattie. “ It’s real pretty.” 

Bessie, will you wear a white dress ?” asked 
Cora. “ I’ve got a lovely one.” 

‘‘No, mama says it will be best to wear my Sun- 
day dress. Then no one will feel that they have to 
bother. We want to have a good time, not bother 
about clothes.” 

At a quarter past four, on March 22, Anna waited 
at the foot of the seven steps while her father rang 
the bell. She glanced at the closed shutters of the 
first floor and wondered if any one were peeping 
out. A little girl, in becoming dress and with short 
hair curled closely about her head, opened the door, 
bowed prettily to Mr. Roderick and then ran down 
the steps. 

“We were just thinking you were not coming. 
Every one is here,” she said, and Anna recognized 
Bessie’s voice. “ Here is papa to help. I will go 
ahead.” 

The greetings and introductions made Anna 
tremble. Then she was surrounded by a multitude 


Letter B's Party 


1 1 1 


of aunts and grandmothers, with Bessie’s mother, 
who divided between them the movements required 
to take off Anna’s wraps. The gift was given, the 
other gifts admired, and then she was safely settled 
beside a girl with dark hair, sallow complexion, 
irregular features, and with a something about her 
that captivated Anna. 

“ My name is Grace, but Bessie forgot to tell 
you so. I’m the oldest here, and when I stand up 
you’ll see that I’m awfully tall,” she said easily, 
as if the meeting with invalids at parties was an 
everyday occurrence. 

“ I meant to get here before anybody came, but 
I couldn’t. It is just as well, for I suppose Bessie 
told you all what to expect. This is my first 
party since I have been on wheels.” Anna spoke 
of herself because she wanted this girl to give her 
a little attention. It was an unusual impulse, but 
the girl was so satisfactory. 

I was so curious to see what you looked like,” 
confessed Grace Larch. *‘What did you go on 
before ?” 

In steel, brass and iron — braces, you know. 
What pounds I carried about with me !” answered 
Anna, laughing. “The frame wouldn’t do its 


I 12 


Dear Days 


work, so I had to give it up. Isn’t Bessie’s brother 
a little dear ? I do love babies.” 

‘‘ I never know what to say to them, so I let 
them alone. I like that Mattie ; don’t you ?” 

“Yes, indeed I do. She is just as nice as she 
can be. I think it’s so funny that people can’t 
understand that limited people are all the nicer in 
other ways. If people would stop being sorry they 
would see more in invalids.” 

Grace Larch did not understand that speech, 
so Anna silently reproved herself and turned to 
listen to the chatter about her. She supposed the 
party was much like other children’s parties, but 
everything was novel to her. Every minute of the 
four hours was too short. She enjoyed the games, 
was interested in the way each took success or 
failure, and was much amused with her own silent 
comments. All had on their best gowns ; and fine 
clothes were a very great pleasure to Anna. Then 
she was so glad to see Bessie’s mother ; she was 
interested in all mothers because she valued her 
own. 

“ Let’s play ‘ Going to Jerusalem.’ Anna, can’t 
you bang something on the piano ?” asked Bessie. 
“ Then we can all play. Or will you whistle ?” 


Letter B's Party 


113 

Anna instantly felt hot all over, but she did want 
to help. She chose the less embarrassing per- 
formance. I will strike chords whenever I lose 
the piece — that will do, won’t it ?” 

Cora was left behind at the first stop, and con- 
soled herself by taking a position by the piano 
where she could whisper directions that would save 
her favorites. Anna was dismayed. She did not 
want to offend Cora, but she could not be unfair. 
Apprehension of Cora’s vexation made her nervous, 
and her striking of the chords was the more notice- 
able because of the discord. But she courageously 
refrained from cheating and was relieved to find 
that Cora only stared and laughed at her disobe- 
dience. 

The supper-table was attractively arranged, and 
the refreshments consisted of many tempting dain- 
ties, but Anna was too excited for proper apprecia- 
tion. Suspense was prevalent until Bessie had 
proudly cut the birthday cake with rigid adherence 
to all directions. Each guest felt obliged to repay 
hospitality by telling a joke, and some of them were 
extremely funny because of the lack of anything 
that merited a laugh. Mattie’s joke received an 

extra piece of birthday cake as a reward. 

8 


Dear Days 


114 

I don’t know any jokes,” she began. “ But 
there’s a man around the corner from me that owed 
another man some money. The man owed him 
the money and he wouldn’t pay him, and I think 
that’s very funny.” 

Ice-cream forks fell to the plates with a clatter 
and there followed a deafening clapping of hands 
which brought the aunts and grandmothers flocking 
about the table. 


CHAPTER XI. 


SPRING DAYS. 



‘HERE’S an ice- wagon. I’m skinny, but I can 


A git a hunk first. Anna, I’ll git you a piece,” 
said Cora, as she darted up Q street after the 
huge blocks that left behind them black lines on 
the dusty concrete. Miss Ivah disapproved of 
these raids on the passing wagons ; but her 
pitchers of ice-water were not half so cooling as 
the stolen lumps that burned every finger before 
they were small enough to put in the mouth. If a 
driver were pleasant they praised him, and if abusive 
they laughed and were glad they had worried him. 
Spring fever and the sound of teeth cracking ice 
had marred the perfect quiet of the school-room. 

“ Did you ever see anything so mean ?” exclaimed 
Bessie. I couldn’t run any faster. That man 
saw us coming and didn’t look as if he minded, 
and when he put out a hand — ” 

And put up a foot,” supplemented Nettie. 

“ Well, if I see him again I’ll ask him how he likes 


( 115) 


Dear Days 


1 16 

being so mean. Cora, you must drop that so it 
will break in pieces.” 

“There’s another wagon for you to catch. I 
got this and some of it’s for Anna, but I ain’t goin’ 
to give the rest of you none.” Then she dropped it 
quickly to save herself from an attacking mob that 
forced generosity. 

Daisy distributed the broken pieces, handing the 
smallest to Cora. “ It takes you longest to eat it 
and you don’t want to get Miss Ivah mad. Wasn’t 
it fun that day a stream of water rolled off every 
desk ? It wasn’t raining but, at first, I believe Miss 
Ivah thought the roof was leaking.” 

Luncheon was again carried to the front porch 
each day, but The Couple and the bench failed to 
appear in the next yard. Miss Ivah could state 
that no furniture had been moved out of the house, 
but she had not been informed of the movements of 
The Blonde and The Brunette. But other interests 
had displaced their hold on the minds of the girls, 
and they were content with remembrance and a 
wonder about the identity of the baker. 

“ Are you going to like botany lessons ?” asked 
Nettie. The question caused the overflow of her 
share of booty, which fell from her mouth to her 


spring Days 


117 

lap and then slid to the ground. She picked it up 
allowed the heat of her fingers to force a cleansing 
stream, and returned it to her mouth. 

‘‘Never did it. How should I know?” mur- 
mured Daisy. She profited by observation and 
dammed her mouth with the palm of her hand. 
“Anything’s better than German. Nettie’s the 
only one with a tongue made for it, and I’m tired 
of twisting my tongue out of shape.” 

“ I can’t go to Germany, so I don’t care about 
speaking German. I’d like to read it, though. But 
I haven’t read all of the English books yet, so I 
guess there’s plenty of time,” said Anna. “ Bot- 
any’s lovely, and I’m so glad we’re to have Miss 
Vesta.” 

“Why, I’d study — study politics if Miss Vesta 
would teach it,” said Bessie. “And there isn’t 
anything nastier than that.” 

“ That was one of the things that got Anna and 
me in a fuss,” said Daisy. “ I’m a Democrat for- 
ever ! Old Republicans ain’t any good. That’s 
the only thing I don’t like about you, Bessie. You 
sided with Anna, but Cora sided with me.” 

“ Nettie ought to have settled it, but she kept 
hanging on the fence,” giggled Cora. 


ii8 


Dear Days 


“ Well, it’s a safe place to be when you don’t 
know anything about either side,” retorted the 
accused. “ What do I know about Democrats or 
Republicans?” 

There was a short silence, full of scorn and 
wonder. 

“ Well, it’s funny Anna and I are always fussing 
about something and never stay mad. Let’s argue 
some more,” said Daisy persuasively. 

Just then the bell rang and Miss Vesta directed 
attention to the business-like outlines on the board. 
It was amusing to be taught that there are four 
parts of a plant ; that the root grows in the ground, 
gathers food for the plant and also holds it in the 
earth ; that the stem grows above the root and car- 
ries food to different parts of the plant ; that the 
leaves grow on the stem, form shade, and breathe 
in carbonic acid gas and breathe out oxygen ; and 
that the flower grows on the stem and is necessary 
to produce fruit. They knew all that before, only 
they had never thought about it. But writing a 
properly connected statement of the facts was too 
much to expect of any one — that was a compo- 
sition. 

Miss Vesta explained that a flower was to be 


spring Days 


119 

studied each day and the facts concerning its struc- 
ture and other comments upon it were to be written 
in a note-book in the form of a composition. The 
scholars groaned under the numerous new terms 
presented, but they enjoyed the botany lessons and 
liked to apply their knowledge by speaking casually 
of a calyx, corolla, stamen, pistil, blade, petiole, or 
a stipule. They had drawn in their note-books six- 
teen pattern leaves, and had brought stray counter- 
parts to Miss Vesta to have her see if they had 
rightly named the shape. Pinnate, palmate, ovate, 
oblong, obovate, spatulate, heart-shaped, ear-shaped 
and all the other terms were considered valuable 
additions to their vocabulary. Finished composi- 
tions were also valued and proudly loaned for in- 
spection. Anna was much respected because she 
could comment upon the plants as well as write the 
facts about them. The third composition in her 
book was rated the highest of all. 

The Bluet. 

One of the earliest and most delicate of the spring flowers 
which are found in the woods, is the bluet. 

Growing from the root, which is fibrous, is a cluster of 
spoon-shaped leaves from which rises the light green, 
slightly flattened stem that is very slender. 


I 20 


Dear Days 


There are a great many leaves, some at the base of the 
stem while others are farther up. 

The light blue flower having four petals is at the top of 
the stem. 

It seems to me that the bluets love company, for you find 
them growing close together in littld groups, and when the 
wind softly blows them it seems as if they were nodding to 
one another. 

The last paragraph made it wonderful to the 
girls and pleasing to Miss Vesta. Anna was sur- 
prised, because she had not valued the words when 
she wrote them. Praise for the thing that came nat- 
urally to her made her suddenly feel that she could 
easily do it again. After that day, she secretly and 
vaguely had the hope that perhaps she was going 
to be able to put things together and write about 
them a little better than most other people. 

Each note-book was adorned by the carefully 
written titles, “ The Parts of a Plant,” “ The Purple 
Violet,” ‘‘The Saxifrage,” ‘‘The Meadow Rue,” 
“The Leaf of the Purple Violet,” “The Rose 
Leaf,” “The Violet Leaf and the Lily Leaf,” 
“The Spring Beauty,” “The Parts of a Perfect 
Flower,” “The Buttercup,” and “The Sorrel.” 
If what followed was badly written and blotted, 
the beholder reflected that, after composing ten or 


spring Days 


I2I 


fifteen lines “ the flesh is weak.” Then came the 
pressing, and the mounting on card-board, of the 
flowers which Miss Vesta had journeyed to the 
country to gather. Sticky fingers required frequent 
trips to the bath-room up stairs, and that necessity 
relieved the tediousness of the required carefulness 
and patience. But when Miss Ivah found it neces- 
sary to place a cup of water on each desk, life and 
botany were hard to endure. 

“ It’s all nasty, but there’s one part that’s nas- 
tiest !” exclaimed Daisy. “The old root won’t 
stick, but this is worse.” She wrote her name in 
the corner of the card and pushed it toward Anna. 
“ There !” 

“ I’d rather slip my knife under slighted places, 
because I can do that all right, but I make my 
name look so crooked,” said Anna. Margaret 
Joy. What did you write that for?” 

“That’s mine. You don’t want me to forge a 
name, do you ?” 

“But why — ” 

“ Did you ever hear of nicknames ? I was such 
a tiny baby mama thought Margaret was too big a 
name, and Daisy just suited.” 

“ Margaret is a beautiful name, and I’d call you 


I 22 


Dear Days 

that, only Daisy just suits you yet. Miss Ivah, are 
there really three more flowers to be stuck on ? I 
just can't do it.” The heat had stolen Anna’s 
strength of will and fortitude. She would not allow 
her cards to be daubed with mucilage, and the 
thought of any more painstaking was sickening 
to her. 

“ You are tired. Put the work away and finish 
a little at a time.” For the first time. Miss Ivah 
noticed that Anna’s every movement was slow and 
forced. In cold weather Anna would have scorned 
to accept a privilege not offered to the others but 
now she wearily dropped her head on the back of 
her chair. All through the winter, she had care- 
fully hidden any signs of weakness from the girls 
but now she did not care what they thought. She 
was tired of goading her miserable body to do 
things that were easy for their perfect ones to do. 

I’d like to have the crowfoot violet and the but- 
tercup, but will it matter if I don’t do the meadow- 
rue ? It isn’t pretty pressed, and it is so hot — 

“ ‘ Oh, I wish I was a-sliding down Boffin’s Bay, 

Where all de niggers am made ob clay. 

Hoop-de-loody ! Ain’t dat gay ! 

Sliding down a ice-berg on Boffin’s Bay?’ ” 


spring Days 


23 


She began languidly, and then chanted the song 
with a reckless impatience that astonished the 
girls and showed Miss Ivah the state of her 
nerves. 

“ Never mind the meadow-rue, then,” she said 
smilingly, and Anna immediately broke the dried 
flower into fragments. 

Miss Vesta made dainty cardboard cases for the 
mounted flowers and presented one to each of her 
scholars. Anna chose to have hers pink, with 
baby blue ribbon, but for a long time afterward she 
wondered if Daisy’s choice of Nile green with pink 
ribbon were not the prettier. 

Penny pickles had charmed the girls all the 
winter, and even ice could not successfully rival 
them. One or two of the scholars would part with 
a penny a day, and generously allow the others 
bites of the sour equivalent. Generosity now 
mounted to a heroic height. Home feasts of candy 
and cake were strictly tabooed to enable the mar- 
tyrs to furnish the half of a pickle to each school- 
mate. If consumed judiciously, the half could be 
made to vanish with the last minute of recess. 

“The man’s just got in a new barrel. It took 
me longer because I waited for him to open it,” 


124 


Dear Days 


announced Cora, who had been chosen errand girl 
one day. “ He had a sharp knife there, so I got 
him to halve ’em. Here, Anna, you’ll have to take 
three big bites at once to make up time.” 

Anna obediently filled her mouth and chewed 
rapidly. She took another big bite, but the first 
chew made her gasp and wink continually. Every 
other mouth worked on and every other face was 
expressive of content, so she half doubted the 
burning feeling in her mouth. If the girls could 
stand that strong vinegar, she could, too. Boldly 
she took the third bite, and then pride wilted. The 
pickle sourly settled in the corner, while Anna’s 
hands frantically clawed the air. 

“ Mercy ! — Ugh ! — My ! My ! — Ohy ohy oh /” 
she gasped, while the tears ran down and mingled 
with the drops of vinegar on her dress. 

Five pickles were hurriedly laid in safe places, 
and five mischievous girls were convulsed with 
laughter. Back and forth they swayed, with a hand 
on each aching side ; then, simultaneously, each 
sought to find rest in one another’s arms and the 
combination went heavily to the floor in a heap. 

Pride was again alert. Anna suppressed excla- 
mations and gulped down the third piece. When 


spring Days 


125 


her tears ceased, there was grim inquiry in her 
eyes. From the limp heap on the floor came sev- 
eral attempts at speech. Finally there sounded a 
weak chorus of — 

Pepper 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE BOTANICAL GARDENS. 

HY — it’s Daisy exclaimed Anna, as she 



looked up from a grammar cram before 


school. 

“Nobody said I was dead, did they?” asked 
Daisy, crushingly. 

“ No, — but you look — so — ” 

“ I don’t at all. I haven’t any wings and I 
slapped my sister Emma fifteen minutes ago.” 

“ Oh, hush !” Anna laughed. “ I mean you 
look so pretty. That’s a lovely coat and hat. 
You look just fine in it.” 

Daisy thought she must hide her pleasure. “ So 
you thought it couldn’t be me?” she said in an 
offended tone. “ Here’s the same old dress and 
inky apron. But I thought I’d be fine outside, as 
Miss Ivah is going to trot her school out. We’ll 
have to go one by one to make the line long, 
won’t we ?” 

As the scholars were thoroughly interested in 


(126) 


The Botanical Gardens 127 

the study of botany, Miss Ivah thought a visit to 
the Botanical Gardens might be profitable to them. 
Of course the scholars were sure it would. At 
one o’clock Janet came to wheel Anna slowly 
along the many squares between, while the others 
rode in the car. The conservatories were crowded 
with plants on each side and on a stand down the 
middle, so there were only narrow paths on which 
observers and students could walk singly. While 
Anna and Janet were passing from the quiet of the 
residence part of the city into the activity of G 
Street, F Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and on 
to the staidness of Capitol Hill, the others were 
following a guide through the bewildering profu- 
sion of strange plants and rapid descriptions. As 
they stepped from the last one of the low buildings 
they spied Anna’s chair entering the gate. 

Oh, Anna, it’s grand !” cried Bessie, excitedly. 

I never knew such things ! — I never knew they 
had such a big thing to help on with such a little 
thing as botany — ^that is, I used to think it was a 
little thing, — but it isn’t at all ! It’s as big as — 
why, we don’t know a piece of it as big as a pin- 
head !” 

“ Well, my head ain’t much bigger than that, so 


128 


Dear Days 


I don’t want any more,” said Cora, a little crossly. 
“ I’ve got a headache now.” 

“ I’ll give it a knock or two and that’ll puff it 
out a little,” proposed Daisy, scornfully. “ Anna, 
ain’t it fine they have all this — why, it’s ours as 
much as anybody’s, ain’t it ? — and bring here from 
all over the world the slips that people grow there 
and see if we can use ’em for anything. I didn’t 
know I had so many people working for me for 
nothing. There was a man in there, and he’s been 
telling us lots of things. I asked him if he was the 
boss, and he said he was.” 

One of the workmen was transferring plants from 
one pot to another with as much care as a mother 
handles a young infant. His sunburned face was 
broadened by a grin as he remarked to the smiling 
teacher, 

“ Got somethin’ from the trip, didn’t they ? Ideas 
pretty straight, but ’tain’t the reg’lar way of throwin’ 
’em out. Guess maybe they’re smart children.” - 
Miss Ivah, do you believe it ? — the man said 
— ” Nettie paused and groped for expression. 
“ I don’t believe that one reason they want to 
find out about the flowers is so they can put 
parts in the ground with the crops, and in the 



In the Botanical Gardens 


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The Botajiical Gardens 129 

mills, and in medicine, to make all that cheaper for 
the people.” 

Every one stared. The workman held an empty 
pot in the air as he waited for the teacher to un- 
tangle the knot. 

I heard nothing like that, Nettie. What do 
you mean ?” 

Nettie looked helplessly at the hot-houses. 

Why, he said he had to be econom-nal, or some- 
thing.” 

Miss Ivah and the workman laughed. 

^ Economical ’ he must have said. You will 
have to believe,” said Miss Ivah, smilingly. What 
he said was true, but you have mixed it. Tm not 
sure that I can make it plainer for you.” 

^*She don’t want you to,” said Daisy, hastily. 

Economy’s nasty ; that’s all there is to it. Come 
on around the garden. It’s nice ; everything’s got 
its name on a stick stuck in the ground.” She 
stooped to read the inscription on the stick by 
Anna’s chair and then made a face. Don’t catch 
me putting that in my mouth.” 

The workman went with them part of the way 
around the ground and directed their attention to 
the most important and curious plants. His pride 


130 


Dear Days 


in every leaf and his shrewd remarks made addi- 
tional knowledge endurable even to Cora. 

“Now who wants to kill a plant?” he asked 
suddenly. All but Daisy thought silence the safest 
course. They suspected a joke and did not care 
to be caught. 

“ I don’t want to kill it, but will if you want me 
too. I ain’t afraid,” said Daisy. 

The man laughed. “You’re a cute one, and 
you don’t want to be caught at this business. Now, 
if you only knowed it, it’s only perticular ones 
that are let to do it. Now you know there’s some 
chiney cups and things you’re afeared to touch for 
fear they’ll break.” He paused before a half-shrubby 
plant with leaves divided into a number of small 
leaflets. “ Now this is one of them delicate things. 
It don’t mind a hard wind or the hot sun, but just 
let anyone be a little rough with it, and its feelings 
are hurt so bad it dies right then.” 

The girls looked at the man, at Miss Ivah, and 
at the plant. 

“ Huh !” said Daisy. 

“ Just knock your hand against it right hard 
and see,” said the man, and Daisy obeyed. 

At the unkind touch all the leaflets shrank slowly 


The Botanical Gardens 131 

together, the short stems sank down, and then the 
stalk weakened until the plant hung over like a thing 
without energy or life. The girls held their breath 
and stood perfectly still. The workman chuckled. 

Didn’t think it would, did you ? That’s the 
Sensitive Plant of the Mimosa family. Now what 
do you s’pose we’re goin’ to do with it?” 

Again the girls looked at the man, at Miss Ivah, 
and at the plant. They were not apprehensive, but 
they could make nothing out of the matter. When 
the workman suddenly led the way to the next 
path, they followed without questioning, for they 
liked a mystery. But no other plant could rival 
that queer one ; they slighted the rarest specimen 
and cared not for those of any land. They were 
still intensely curious when a sudden turn in the 
walk brought them back in front of the interesting 
plant. 

“ Look !” came at once from all. They could 
hardly believe that the plant had wilted, for once 
more it stood as erect as any. 

The workman chuckled again. Guess there 
won’t be nothin’ to pay for damages, will there ? 
Guess you were a leetle bit frightened about that, 
eh ?” He was intensely pleased with his joke and 


132 


Dear Days 


with the mock anger of the visitors, and went with 
reluctance back to his work. 

“ I wish we didn’t have to go,” sighed Anna, as 
she again looked around the large green place with 
the spring sunshine sparkling everywhere. I wish 
we had this for a school yp-rd.” 

As long as we are here we shall take in all of 
the places near,” announced Janet, and Anna’s eyes 
sparkled. We shall go through the Mall ; it is a 
long time since you have seen the Fish Commission 
and the Agricultural Department. Then we shall 
have just time to meet papa at the Smithsonian. 
He said he had to be there and would take you 
home. You know I want to go to see the High 
School Cadets drill on the White Lot. It is 
almost time for the competitive drill at the Base- 
ball Park, and Central has to work hard if they want 
to win. This regimental drill is what they need.” 

Bessie and I are going to walk with you and 
spend our car-fare on the way,” said Daisy. 

We’ll see the others on the car, first.” 

As the car came in sight Miss Ivah faced her 
scholars. ''You need prepare no lessons to-night, 
but I want you to write a composition — ” She 
stopped to laugh at the quick change in the 


The Botanical Gardens 


133 


faces. “A composition on what you have seen 
to-day, with facts about the first Botanical Garden 
and the most noted ones of the present time.” She 
stepped on the car and waved a good-by from the 
platform. 

Daisy and Bessie stood as if petrified until Janet 
laughed merrily. Then they said slowly, and in 
revengeful tones, 

‘‘ She’s a mean old maid !” 

That’s what she is !” 

Anna was indignant that they should speak so of 
Miss Ivah, but Janet was amused at their idea of 
hard work and laughed heartily. 

‘‘ Wait till you are in the High School and you’ll 
have worse than that every day, and real old maids, 
and grandmothers, as teachers, too,” she said. 

Oh, I ain’t going to graduate from anything. I 
ain’t going half way up to there,” announced Daisy. 

Do let’s exchange what we know,” begged 
Bessie. I don’t remember a single thing but that 
touchy thing.” 

Oh, you do !” urged Daisy. “ Our Gardens 
are next best in the world — that one near London 
is the only one ahead. There are eighteen hot- 
houses — and — and — ’ ’ 


Dear Days 




Ten acres/’ added Anna. 

Planted, built, or whatever you call it, in 1867,” 
said Janet. 

“ Oh, that’s enough. The more you know the 
longer your composition will have to be,” said 
Daisy. 

It was a blissful day for Anna ; all the winter she 
had been longing for The Grove and the woods and 
fields surrounding it. In the Agricultural grounds 
there was an abundance of smooth, young grass, 
and from the beds of carefully cultivated flowers 
came a fragrance that sweetened the balmy air. 
Anna gazed intently at everything and wished that 
she might at the same time give all of her attention 
to the beauty of the grounds and the playfulness 
of the girls. 

Mr. Roderick was not at the Smithsonian Insti- 
tute when they arrived there, so the four watched 
the clerks as they hurried out of the building. 
When Janet began to be impatient Anna diplomat- 
ically proposed a play. 

“ As soon as papa comes Janet will rush off to 
those boys. So let’s play he’s Bluebeard and she’s 
his wife and we’re all Sister Anns. See those nice 
little towers on top of the office ? Janet, you must 


The Botanical Gardens 135 

keep looking up there so you can’t see Bluebeard, 
and—” 

Why, the people will think I’m pro- 

tested Janet. 

Ok, please do ! What do you care ? You must 
keep asking us, ‘ Do you see him, Sister Ann ?’ 
and when we holla down he’s coming you must 
huriy away, and then you needn’t be hung up by 
the hair.” 

Janet had never been fond of imaginative plays, 
and the request made her feel foolish. But to be 
obliging she strained her neck as she examined 
every detail of the top architecture. 

I wish Bluebeard would come before I have a 
broken neck,” she groaned, and this opposite senti- 
ment made the girls giggle. 

Oh, my sister, my sister T' wailed Bessie at 
last. There cometh a cloud of dust, and Bluebeard' s 
in the middle I ” 

If it was Must to dust and ashes to ashes ’ you 
wouldn’t care, would you ?” laughed Janet, as she 
almost ran away. 

Mr. Roderick’s amazement was ludicrous. He 
was accustomed to having children flock about him 
and it was bewildering to have them shrink away 


from him as if they were afraid of blows. He looked 
inquiringly from one to the other, which only made 
them continue their pantomime, but when he began 
to look hurt, Anna explained, while the girls made 
saucy comments. 


CHAPTER XIIL 


EXAMINATION DAY. 

TISTORY, geography, arithmetic, grammar, 

^ botany, German, composition, spelling and 
singing. What do we know about all that ?” sighed 
Nettie. 

“ Whole heaps, or else we’re idiots,” affirmed 
Daisy. “ What do you suppose we’ve been doing 
all winter?” 

“ The bother of it is, do we know the parts Miss 
Ivah is going to ask about?” grumbled Anna. “ I 
never had examinations at home and I’m afraid of 
them. I never could show off when I wanted to, 
and I’d like to make a hundred.” 

I ain’t bothered. I don’t care if I make fifteen,” 
giggled Cora. “ I’ve studied hard enough, and if 
I can’t write it all out, it ain’t my fault.” 

The blackboards were covered on both sides 
with questions. On each desk were long business- 
like sheets of paper. 

You’ll have to stay all night with Miss Ivah 

( 137 ) 


Dear Days 


138 

if you have to fix all theniy' said Hattie. I don’t 
have to write. Miss Ivah’s just going to ask me 
some questions.” 

‘‘You’re a lucky dog,” began Daisy; and then, 
as she heard Miss Ivah’s step, she quickly slid into 
her seat. With drooping shoulders and discouraged 
air she stared blankly at the blank paper be- 
fore her. 

Miss Ivah laughed. “ If you keep as still as that 
all the morning I shall be thankful. Now, girls, 
if you attend solely to the examination you can finish 
with it this morning. Then in the afternoon I shall 
be glad to drive you all across the Potomac and 
through Fort Myer and Arlington Cemetery. Your 
mothers know you are to go driving with me one 
day this week. It is too bad I could not be sure 
when I coulcf have father’s horse.” 

“ You’ll have to drive us to the Insane Asylum 
after we go all through everything in one morning,” 
said Bessie dismally. 

“ Gracious, yes ! Everything in this wide, wide 
world would set anybody crazy,” commented 
Daisy. “Oh, didn’t you just cry and cry over 
that book? Nasty, mean woman! I’d have the 
girl run away and marry John before the book 


Examination Day 139 

ends, so people could have some satisfaction out 
of it.” 

As usual, it was Bessie who first remembered to 
be courteous. “ It will be lovely to go riding with 
you, and I think it is lovely in you to bother with 
us all,” she said gracefully. “ You see if we don’t 
behave as nice as can be. Only, when we get ’way 
out, where there isn’t anybody, will you let us get 
out and shout ?” 

“All you want to. Do you mean to have a 
shouting contest ?” 

“That would be fun. You can examine us in 
that all you want to. We can yell, if we can’t 
sing,” said Daisy. 

Dozens of ice-wagons passed by the school, and 
visions of sour pickles came into the minds of the 
scholars as they toiled through that list of ques- 
tions. Exasperating flies darted in and out of the 
windows to show their freedom, and the tick of the 
clock goaded the girls to steady performance of duty. 
The sparrows chattered among the new green 
leaves and the hucksters called out the presence of 
“Strawberries !” and the ever-present “Bana;/<^j/ 

In the heat of a conflict virtue often fails. The 
test-questions were not particularly hard, but the 


140 


Dear Days 


girls felt it would give them confidence and pre- 
vent failure if they compared answers. Diplomacy 
was to them an unstudied lesson, but nevertheless 
they knew it by heart ; it was easy to attract at- 
tention and hold up a scrap of paper on which was 
written the number of a question. It took but a 
moment to grasp the answering name, date, or 
mere bone of the body of the question. They were 
thoughtless of the dishonesty and absorbed in the 
continued immunity from discovery. 

“ Cora !” said Miss Ivah at last. Cora jumped. 
She was stretching her arm to Bessie, the authority 
on arithmetic, and the jump made her lose her bal- 
ance. Miss Ivah waited till she had righted herself. 
“ Why are you communicating with Bessie ?” 

While Cora hesitated the scholars giggled to 
show they would tolerate no heroic screening of 
their faults. Bessie nodded for Cora to tell, so Cora 
answered, “ I was asking Bessie what answer she 
got to the fifth example.’’ 

Miss Ivah stood up straight and stiff, with one 
hand on the table behind her. Her attitude re- 
minded the girls of Miss Vesta. “You certainly 
know that I cannot allow that. If the rest of you 
have done the same, please say so.” 


Examination Day 141 

No one cared to speak the ugly truth, but the 
eyes of all confessed. Each girl was wondering why 
another light would make the same thing look differ- 
ent. Straight, stiff and silent stood Miss Ivah. 

I don’t see why it’s anything,” at last began 
Nettie. We were just going to see if we were 
right. It’s so much easier.” 

“ Nevertheless, I must insist that you work with- 
out help. I shall just mention my surprise at such 
actions. You should be able to make all necessary 
comment.” 

The everyday smart of sin was pushed aside by 
their wonder at this puzzling end of the matter. 
Miss Ivah sat quietly in her chair by the table, with 
a book in her lap. While Cora had hesitated, the 
girls had decided that longer lessons and being 
kept in after school were not severe enough pun- 
ishments for such a transgression. They could not 
imagine what their teacher would do, and now she 
had done — nothing. What was it that made her so 
— well, nice, of course — but so forgetful ? It should 
have been Miss Vesta that caught them cheating, 
and then they would have been chastised. 

The clock struck twelve, and Miss Ivah looked 
up for the first time. “ Have you all finished ?” 


142 


Dear Days 


“ I ain’t done anything to twelve of ’em, and I 
ain’t goin’ to,” said Cora. “ I don’t believe you 
got your questions out of the books we’ve studied.” 

I have three more to answer,” said Anna. She 
looked tired, but not harassed. 

“What do you take so long for? I’ve been 
through ten minutes,” said Daisy scornfully. 
“ Why don’t you say what you’ve got to say and 
be done with it ?” 

“ I may have more to say than you,” said Anna. 
Once in a while Daisy goaded Anna to sharp 
answers. 

Daisy stared. “ How many sheets did you 
use?” she demanded. 

“All of them.” 

“ My gracious, and you write small, too ! I 
saved three of mine to write notes on.” Daisy 
flashed a look at Miss Ivah and then continued, “ I 
guess you did have more, or else you strung it out 
to make it look more. What’s the sense in stick- 
ing words on?” 

Anna’s eyes flashed. She knew that she grasped 
history, geography, and the other studies in their 
relation to other things, and that Daisy understood 
and retained only the statements of books. It is 


Examination Day 


143 


hard to have one’s superiority denied by what one 
knows is inferior wisdom. But Anna had had 
much practice in controlling temper as well as 
body, so she said coldly, 

“ I never try to seem big, and you know it. The 
words I stick on belong on.” 

“ I shall correct these papers and return them 
immediately,” said Miss Ivah. “Anna, one of the 
girls can bring your papers to the dining-room 
when you finish.” 

The girls moved silently about the room till 
Anna laid down her pen. Bessie took up the 
papers to take them to Miss Ivah, but Daisy stopped 
her with an air of importance. 

“You know the picture upstairs on the easel? 
That picture of the young man ? Well, I believe 
he’s Miss Ivah’s lover, and he’s coming home to- 
day.” 

This statement of belief received one minute of 
grave attention and reasoning, and then it was 
seconded and carried in a burst of laughter. But 
Nettie was matter-of-fact and puzzled. 

“ But where has he been, and how do you know 
anything about him ?” she asked. 

“ Do you think she’d be so sweet to us if some- 


144 


Dear Days 


body wasn’t going to pay it back ? But ain’t it 
funny ? I wish she would do something to us. I 
feel real mean ; don’t you ?” 

“ If that’s all you stopped me for — ” said Bessie, 
scornfully, and she went on with the papers. She 
came back with a gleeful face. I made ninety- 
eight ; do you hear ? Did any of you beat that ? 
Miss Ivah corrected mine first. Miss Vesta’s help- 
ing her ; won’t you feel awful if any of you make 
below seventy-five ?” 

Miss Ivah was still very sober of face when she 
returned the papers. 

“Tell it all quick!” said Daisy. “Did Bessie 
really make ninety-eight ?’ ’ 

“ Cora, fifty-one ; Nettie, seventy-five ; Daisy, 
ninety-two ; Bessie, ninety-eight ; Anna, one hun- 
dred,” announced Miss Ivah. “ Cora made no 
attempt to answer many questions. I am sure her 
mark would have been much higher if she had not 
been afraid to try.”' 

Anna did not condole with, or congratulate, 
any one. She had but two thoughts — I must not 
seem proud, — and I can tell the folks that I did 
the best that could be done, even in arithmetic 
Miss Ivah gave no sympathy or attention to the 


Examination Day 1 45 

chatter, and anything so unusual was immediately 
noticed. 

What time is the carriage coming ?” inquired 
Daisy in her most charming manner. Will Bessie 
and I have time to race around the square to let 
off steam ?” 

“You will not have time, because recess is over 
and you must take your seats. The carriage is not 
coming this afternoon,” said Miss Ivah, calmly. 
“ Here is more paper and a new list of questions. 
As the first examination was not a fair one, we shall 
be compelled to have a second one. Begin at once, 
and excuse me a moment.” 

The door should have burned down and allowed 
the fiery eyes to scorch Miss Ivah before she turned 
down the hall. The chairs creaked under the in- 
creasing weight of anger. Then Cora giggled, 
and the girls stared at each other till giggling be- 
came infectious. The laughter ended at last in a 
long sigh. 

“ But isn’t she a darling, a daisy and a duck ?” 
demanded Daisy, and simultaneously they answered, 

“ She isr 

The question was just answered when they 
heard Miss Ivah’s footsteps again. The pens were 


10 


146 


Dear Days 


dropped and the hands clapped vigorously, but 
noiselessly, until the door opened. Two o’clock 
came, and the scholars went on searching the cor- 
ners of their minds for needed facts. Janet came, 
and after a few words with Miss Ivah seated her- 
self on the front porch and studied her Latin book. 
Mattie’s mother sent a child of the neighborhood 
to make inquiry. Cora’s mother called to inform 
her daughter that if she wanted to have her hair 
curled for dancing-school she must not stay at 
school after it was out. 

At three-fifteen Miss Ivah bowed smilingly. 
“ The carriage will be here promptly at one’ clock 
to-morrow afternoon. There will be no lessons. 
In the morning we shall arrange for an entertain- 
ment for the last day of school.” 

Now the door should have been down, so that 
Miss Ivah could hear the warm praises. 

“ I thought we were to lose the drive,” said 
Bessie. “ It will be such fun to have a nice long 
play and be silly together before we say good-by 
for the summer. We ought to be all in one 
family. Mama wouldn’t want to bring you all 
up, though.” 

I shan’t make a hundred again because I 


Examination Day 1 47 

couldn’t remember a date,” said Anna, mournfully. 
“When was St. Augustine built?” 

“ Oh, tear it down if you can’t remember. I 
forget what I put,” said Daisy. “ We’ll all make 
less, but that don’t mean we know less. Who 
could turn out enough for two examinations in 
everything in one day ? Now for home.” 

“ Before you go — ” said Anna, laughingly, and 
the girls paused at the door. “ Miss Ivah is — 
what? A darling, a daisy and a duck ?” 

Loudly came the answer : 


She isr 


CHAPTER XIV. 


THE GOOD-BY ENTERTAINMENT. 

I T was the last day of school and the importance 
of the day and the dainty summer dresses re- 
quired entirely different speech and action, so each 
girl showed that she could soften fun and frankness 
if she wanted to and charm by sweetness and 
pleasantness, with an occasional flash of humor. It 
was really fun to them to present to Miss Ivah and 
to each other this neglected set of manners. Anna 
had been carried to the parlor upstairs, and sitting 
in the big easy-chair she felt almost like anyone 
else. She preferred to sit erect, but when she had 
declined pillows for the third time she made her- 
self lean back, that others might be comfortable in 
supposing her comfortable. She despised loung- 
ing, and the unusual position made the back of her 
neck ache, but she preferred a pain like that to the 
pain of enduring unnecessary kind solicitude. 

Summer dresses are almost as pretty as Sunday 

dresses,” said Daisy. 

( 148) 


The Good-by Entertainment 149 

“ I think they are lots prettier than any other 
dresses/’ said Anna. “ People look lovely in white, 
but Pm so glad some people will wear colors, be- 
cause I do like them too.” 

There he is,” said Cora, pointing to the life- 
sized oil painting of a man’s head. “ I wonder if he 
came ? Miss Ivah doesn’t look any sillier than she 
did before.” 

“ Miss Ivah wouldn’t be silly. People can have 
beaux without making you sick, Cora Smith,” said 
Bessie, indignantly. “ Maybe if we had wanted 
people to come to our entertainment she would 
have asked him.” 

Well, I think you’re too funny,” said Nettie, 
who had been gazing at the picture as she listened. 
^‘You don’t know a thing about him. He may 
be Miss Ivah’s brother or somebody. He might 
not be anybody at all, but just a picture.” 

The girls felt that on this occasion they should 
not make derisive remarks, but all laughed softly. 

Well, if that wasn’t just a picture we wouldn’t 
be talking like that to his face,” said Daisy. She 
could not repress the remark, but the tone was 
mild. 

It is not a fancy picture, because it is not. 


Dear Days 


150 

Look at it, and you can tell in a minute he is not, 
— because if it was, it would not — oh, I don’t know 
how to say it, but it is noty I know.” 

Anna’s wise criticism caused amusement that 
needed an outlet. Without perceptible invitation 
Cora and Daisy were quickly in each other’s arms 
and moving about the room in a dance that w'as 
graceful when one looked at Cora and like a grass- 
hopper when one looked at Daisy. In a few minutes 
Cora had had enough. 

I’ll git so hot I’ll forgit all the notes of my 
piece,” she said. Nettie, don’t you forgit to 
count time. I reckon you’ll put me out, and then 
Miss Ivah’s folks will have to run.” 

“ Well, aren’t you glad we didn’t ask people to 
come to see what we can do ?” asked Bessie. “ It’s 
so much more fun to spout for ourselves ; and then 
if we break down it doesn’t matter. It was lots of 
fun rehearsing, wasn’t it ?” 

For the sake of old acquaintance, they sang 
every song they had learned that winter, and of 
course they could not slight a single verse. The 
piano was square and the top was almost hidden 
by bunches of wild flowers. Miss Ivah wore three 
black-red velvet roses which Anna had plucked 


The Good-by Entertainment 151 

from the Black Prince rose bush in her back yard. 
It was a valuable bush because it was one of the 
few of that kind which grew in Washington ; and the 
roses from it were given only to special friends of 
the Rodericks. The girls were surprised to find 
that Miss Ivah could play the piano, and were 
properly impressed by the fact that she had some 
idea of music. They sang sadly, *‘Toll, toll the 
bell at early break of day and recklessly the song 
of the Indian girl who rode the rapids ; and mirth- 
fully the story of the scolding woman who tied 
her husband’s hands and then fell into the creek and 
died ; and mournfully of “ Nellie Dale and with 
patriotism of the historic bell-ringer ; and care- 
lessly the song ‘‘Paddle your own canoe;” and 
with hearty enjoyment, of all the other things and 
people they had often warbled about. It was a 
pretty group at the piano, although it was not a 
musical one. Anna smiled as she watched, and yet 
sighed as she thought of all the summer days that 
must come between the good-bys and the fall greet- 
ings. At The Grove she would have Nettie, and 
other girls with whom to play but none of whom 
entered that dear place in her heart where she had 
enshrined Miss Ivah’s scholars. 


152 


Dear Days 


As they sang the last piece Bessie wandered to 
the window. “ Oh, Miss Ivah, there’s somebody 
out there I’m going to ask to come in. He looks 
as if he wants to come in, and the girls won’t mind 
him.” 

Without waiting for permission, she opened the 
door and ran down the stairway. Miss Ivah was 
astonished and doubtful, and the performers were so 
petrified with dismay that they did not even think 
of going to the window. A boy to hear their pro- 
gramme ! Dreadful calamity ! Bessie must be 
punished severely. Dumb and motionless they 
sat, while footsteps came near, and Bessie’s voice 
said, 

‘‘We are up in the parlor this morning because 
we are having an entertainment. Oh, don’t be 
bashful. You’ll be a lovely audience.” A pause. 
“ Why, you aren’t trying to get away, are you ? I 
must say that’s polite ! No one will hurt you if 
you behave yourself. But you mustn’t try to help 
us sing.” A giggle. “You might put us out, you 
know.” 

There was no answering voice to prove the 
identity of the visitor. Bessie had stopped talking, 
^nd was puffing and blowing. That was strange. 


The Good’by Entertainment 153 

because she had often run up and down those steps 
without any effort. 

“Jim never says nothin’, — I reckon it’s him,” 
said Cora. 

“Come right in,” said Bessie, and she very politely 
stood back and allowed Fritz to enter and jump 
wildly about Miss Ivah and sniff suspiciously at 
the strangers. Daisy screamed and jumped on a 
satin-covered chair, from which perch she scolded 
and laughed and grabbed Cora’s head for sup- 
port. 

“ It’s worse than a boy !” she faltered. “ Most 
boys know enough not to bite. Oh, Miss Ivah, 
make him go out, or else let me get on top of the 
piano. He can bite my toes now.” 

Fritz had protested vigorously against being 
dragged away from his play in the street and was 
happy to be exiled from the stupidness of such 
a place ; so gentility once more ruled. 

“A recitation by Miss Daisy Joy,” announced 
Miss Ivah, with a mixture of mirth and solemness 
which pleased the girls. 

Daisy walked up to the piano, made bowing 
ridiculous, and without the least embarrassment 
proceeded to voice, in the verses called “ Aunt Ta- 


154 


Dear Days 


bitha,” her contempt for unreasonable old age. If 
the listeners did not look into her eyes they forgot 
the elocutionist while they recognized the person- 
ality in the piece ; but the bright eyes betrayed 
intense amusement at the successful doing of such 
a thing, and the audience grinned at the characters 
and the interpreter also. 

Hand-clapping was generous and energetic, but 
the volume of sound could not be made satisfac- 
torily loud, so admiring smiles, nods, nudges and 
pinches were added. Daisy was flushed, but still 
more amused than elated. She tried to evade the 
unique applause, but after an unbearably hard pinch 
she walked again to the piano. 

I don’t know another thing. It was bad 
enough learning that. If you had tried to get all 
those lines in your head, you wouldn’t have room 
for two more,” she stated emphatically, and that 
was accepted as an encore. 

“ A piano duet by Miss Nettie Pauline and Miss 
Cora Smith,” said Miss Ivah. 

There was but little dignity in these two, so they 
were unable to hide their self-consciousness and 
their desire to laugh. Of course they twirled and re- 
twirled the piano-stool, and looked under the piano, 


The Good-by Entertainment 155 

and had difficulty in putting backbone into their 
sheet-music ; but the audience was at first patient 
and sympathetic, and then awed by the seeming 
difficulty of the selection. The treble tinkled and 
rippled and ran the scales and required crossed 
hands, and the bass rumbled and exploded and 
crowded into the higher notes and then hurried to 
strike the lowest key, while the treble flashed out 
a saucy strain as an ending. 

Again the most sincere applause failed to bring 
reward. The young musicians had given their all, 
and not even the possibility of fame could induce 
them to repeat their performance. It had re- 
quired all their pride to make them appear on the 
programme. 

Miss Anna Roderick will now favor us with a 
reading,” said Miss Ivah, and all settled themselves 
comfortably, because they knew this number would 
not disappoint in any way. 

Anna sat erect and opened her paper. Her first 
words were clearly and evenly pronounced, but her 
heart beat quickly, she was cold, and her hand 
trembled and made the paper rattle. She knew that 
it was absolutely ridiculous to be frightened, but her 
reasoning could not prevent the panic. Long prac- 


Dear Days 


156 

tice had enabled her to control her voice, no matter 
what the state of her feeling, so she did not dis- 
grace herself. Her selection was negro dialect, 
which had always been an easy language to her. 
She loved and venerated the old-time darkies of 
books, and saw only the best characteristics of 
those of her acquaintance. The humor and pathos 
of the story touched her, and she tried to impress 
it on her listeners. When she finished no one 
clapped. The form of praise was a look of wonder 
from all. 

You say it as good as if you had had a colored 
mammy,” said Daisy. 

Now you can’t refuse to come out again, be- 
cause there is a whole paper full of things you can 
read,” said Bessie. “ Read another story as good 
as that one.” 

“Some other day,” said Anna. She liked to 
read aloud and to people who were much im- 
pressed, but modesty forbade that she should be the 
first to respond to a second call. “ I want to see 
what you are to do. Isn’t she next. Miss Ivah ?” 

“A vocal duet by Miss Joy and Miss May,” 
answered Miss Ivah, and seating herself at the 
piano she played the opening chords of “ The Old 


The Good-by Entertainment 157 

Oaken Bucket.” The piece was pleasing to the 
scholars, so it did not matter that Bessie’s alto 
notes lost themselves in the verse. The chorus 
was the compensation ; it made every one beat 
time with their heads. 

I knew you wouldn’t give us another, so I 
made one for you to read,” said Anna, handing a 
penciled slip of paper to Miss Ivah. The singers 
stood by her and read : 

“ The oh-eld oak-hen buck-hit, 

The i-run bound buck-hit, 

The moss cov-ered buck-hit 
That hun-gin the well.” 

We didn’t say it that way at all !” exclaimed 
Daisy, indignantly. She refrained from adding any- 
thing ugly, but she thought that Anna was a mean, 
stuck-up piece ! Bessie said nothing, but she put on 
the cold look that Anna had been so glad to miss. 

‘^Oh, dearV said Anna impatiently. “Why do 
you take things to yourself? That’s the way that 
piece always sounds to me, and I thought you’d 
think it was funny to see the words changed. Of 
course you didn’t sing it that way ; nobody does. 
But anyway, don’t you like to laugh at a funny 
thing, even if it’s yourself?” 


158 


Dear Days 

** No, I don’t,” said Daisy promptly. But as 
you were not laughing at us, it’s all right.” 

“A solo by Miss Mattie King,” said Miss Ivah, 
and the girls stared. Expressions of surprise and 
amusement quickly changed to wonder and respect 
as they listened to the sweet song and singing about 
spring sunshine and flowers. At the end, Daisy 
coolly took the tea-rose from Anna’s dress and pre- 
sented it to the prima-donna. 

“You can sing better than any of us, and it’s 
funny we never found it out,” she said. 

“ We have been rehearsing solos for some time. 
We wanted to surprise you,” said Miss Ivah. 

“ Well, it was a surprise ; and now. Miss Ivah, 
you must sing something for us,” said Nettie. 
That was a spark to light a fire of urging which 
could be quenched only by compliance. School 
was over, and there was no need for unmoved dig- 
nity; so the teacher played jigs and sang funny 
scraps of song without stopping till some one 
looked at Anna’s watch. There were exclamations 
of surprise, then quietly and silently all left the 
room, and in a few minutes a voice outside called, 

“ Miss Ivah !” 

“ We aren’t going to say good-by,” said Daisy, 


The Good-by Entertainment 159 

as Miss Ivah looked out of the window. “We 
hate good-by ; but we’ll wave to you. Look !” 

There was a mixture of waving arms and hand- 
kerchiefs, and then Miss Ivah’s scholars parted at 
the gate. 


CHAPTER XV. 


AN OASIS. 



‘HE Rodericks were to move to The Grove on 


^ the first of July. Nettie was already there, 
Bessie was somewhere out of the city, and the rest of 
the scholars were busy with home interests. When 
Anna parted from them all she had no expectation 
or hope of seeing them again till school opened. 
Her training had made her sensible and cheerful, 
so there was no soreness or sadness of spirit when 
she told herself that they would not care to visit 
her. But she did wish she could have them all as 
guests at The Grove, and make them have a splen- 
did time while she looked on. As the youth of her 
schoolmates, the carefulness of mothers and the 
small size of the Rodericks’ cottage were insur- 
mountable obstacles, Anna stopped wishing and 
read story-books all through June. 

“I’ll stay in the dining-room to-day. The 
oven’s too hot to go any nearer to it,” she said, 
one day in the middle of the month. 


(i6o) 


An Oasis 


i6i 


** What oven ?” curiously asked Clifford. 

The idea of your asking — and you such a smart 
boy. Think a minute,” urged Anna. What is 
it that makes the kitchen hot?” 

The stove,” promptly responded Clifford, but 
he was more puzzled than ever. That’s right 
next to the dining-room.” 

Never mind that. Now if the stove makes the 
kitchen hot, what is it that makes the world hot?” 
Anna loved to teach, and thought her method 
very wise. 

‘'The bonfires that boys make?” ventured Clifford. 

Anna thought it criminal to laugh at a pupil, 
so she repressed all amusement. “And you a 
Roderick!” she sighed. “No, sir; not the bon- 
fires that boys make. The police are supposed to 
put those out in the city, but did you ever see a 
policeman try to put out the sun ?” 

“ Oh, oh ! I see !” exclaimed Clifford. “ It’s the 
sun that makes the world hot, and if you go in the 
third story you are real near the oven. If I stayed 
on the roof awhile I’d be baked like an Irish potato, 
wouldn’t I ?” 

“You’re Irish anyway, because you can see a 
joke your size right away,” said Anna, approvingly. 

II 


1 62 Dear Days 

** It doesn’t matter if it takes you longer to see a 
fact.” 

“ What are you going to do, Anna ? Shall I get 
you anything?” asked Mrs. Roderick. 

“ It’s too hot to do anything but read. Can’t 
somebody go somewhere and get me some books ?” 

Janet groaned and Clifford stretched his arms. 
Both were accustomed to this demand ; each was 
practiced in the art of borrowing and carrying 
books. 

“ If you wanted only one book it wouldn’t be so 
bad, but when it takes three a day !” laughingly 
grumbled Janet. “ Mama, do you know a single 
soul we haven’t been to ? The idea of the Capitol 
City having a free library so small that you can’t 
get in it ! Why, it’s the narrowest place, and looks 
like any of the other flat-front houses on New York 
Avenue. Just wait till they build one over the 
whole of a square, as they ought ! But then we’ll 
have to hire a carriage and coachman to trot back 
and forth every hour. Well, Anna, my hat is on 
the rack. As soon as you think of a name I’ll go 
and demand ‘ The book or your life !’ ” 

Anna’s desperate thinking was interrupted by a 
ring of the door-bell. 


An Oasis 163 

“ Hullo, Clifford. Is Anna in?” asked a familiar 
voice. 

“ Why, it’s Daisy !” murmured Anna. Her be- 
wilderment was comical. I’m so — glad to see 
you,” she said, as Daisy’s saucy face peeped into 
the dining-room. 

And so — surprised,” said Daisy, mimicking her 
tone. It is pretty hot, but I’m pretty well, thank 
you.” 

Well, indeed I am delighted to see you,” 
gushed Janet. Now I won’t have to run around 
the city for a stack of books. I hope you can stay- 
a long time and talk Anna sleepy.” 

“ I’ve got to go right home,” said Daisy, and 
mischievously paused. Anna’s face fell, and Janet 
looked as though she regretted her speech. 

Mama’s out, and I’ve got to mind the house. 

I came to see if Anna can go home with me. There 
is nice shade in our yard.” 

Anna allowed her pleasure to be seen, but care- 
fully hid all evidence of the wondering and ques- 
tioning in her mind. After all her sensible con- 
clusions. this was certainly a surprise. What had 
prompted Daisy to such a delightful proceeding ? 
To have her company for an hour was boon 


Dear Days 


164 

enough ; to have it at her own home, which Anna 
had longed to see, was almost too much joy. Per- 
haps those interesting boys of real life would pass 
through the yard while she was there. 

‘‘That will be so nice, Daisy,” said Mrs. Rod- 
erick, quietly. “ I will put a white dress on Anna 
and then she will be ready.” 

Anna had always lived in a brick house with a 
flat front and with sides that halved expense with 
the two neighbors’ sides. Daisy’s home held up 
its own four grey walls and its bay-windows, and 
proudly presented three porches. She wheeled 
Anna’s chair close to the steps of the side porch be- 
cause the sun was just then shading the part of the 
yard which was next to the street. She took off her 
straw hat, fanned herself vigorously, flung it down, 
and then grabbed it up again. 

“Ants,” she explained. “Nasty red ones. 
Look ! see them swarming ? I forgot they were 
here. They’re dreadful up on the porch. I’ll take 
the last step, because they’re not so fond of that ; 
if a few of ’em do bite, I can slap ’em. I’m going 
to get Congress to change the name of our street 
from M to A Street. Then it’ll stand for something.” 

“ Then you’ll have to go to the Capitol every 


An Oasis 


165 

day to push your bill,” said Anna, laughingly. 
“ Congressmen don’t attend to their business unless 
other people make them,” she continued, with a 
desire to show how much she knew about the gov- 
ernment of the United States. 

All through the afternoon they chattered, joked, 
argued, and smilingly allowed each other the priv- 
ilege of independent thinking. At last the gate 
clicked and a stout lady came slowly up the walk 
and around to the side porch. Anna trembled with 
apprehension and pleasure, because she guessed 
that at last she was seeing Daisy’s mother. 

Well, mama, I thought you were never coming 
back,” said Daisy. 

Funerals take so long ; I’ve been away out to 
Congressional Cemetery. I suppose this is Anna 
Roderick. I am very glad to see you ; Daisy has 
talked so much of you,” said Mrs. Joy, as she ex- 
tended her hand. “ Isn’t it hot ? I must show 
you a picture of my nieces.” 

Anna admired the photograph and tried hard to 
show that she did, but she had a miserable feeling 
of failure ; just because she knew that this meet- 
ing was so much to her and of no value to Mrs. 
Joy, she was nervous and constrained. Mrs. Joy’s 


Dear Days 


1 66 

manner was pleasant, polite, and easy, but Anna 
felt that she was a little displeased about some- 
thing. As Mrs. Joy went into the house Anna 
asked, hesitatingly, 

Daisy, did your mother know you were going 
to bring me here ?” 

‘‘ No, I didn’t think of it till after she had gone,” 
said Daisy, carelessly. Then as she glanced at 
Anna she added, “ But that doesn’t make any dif- 
ference. She is glad to have the girls come here. 
She’d rather have a pack of ’em here than have me 
at their house.” 

“ Well, I’m not a pack of them and I furnish my 
own seat,” laughed Anna. She could not see and 
consequently could not remove the entire cause of 
displeasure, and she was having too good a time 
to think about unpleasant things she could not 
remedy. Beside, she did not wish to make Daisy 
uncomfortable. 

Don’t you want to see Daniel Webster ?” 
asked Daisy, gravely. “ He’s such a nice gentle- 
man, and behaves so much better than Henry Clay.” 

Anna was mystified, but with those younger than 
herself she always had an answer ready. Where 
do you keep your ghosts ?” she asked. 


A 7 i Oasis 167 

In a cage near the back porch. I’ll show 
you.” 

Mrs. Joy was at one of the back windows. As 
they passed Anna looked up and smiled, and wished 
she could think of the proper and appropriate re- 
mark to make. She was ready to like all mothers, 
and Mrs. Joy was nice, even if she was displeased. 
The two white rabbits blinked solemnly at the ad- 
miring visitor as Daisy poked cabbage-leaves 
through the wire, so that Anna might see them 
forsake dignity and scramble for the food. 

‘‘ Daniel Webster got out the other day. We 
found him in the house chewing the big dictionary. 
I guess he was mad at himself for making the old 
thing.” 

Oh, but wasn’t it Noah Webster who made the 
dictionary?” If Anna had been sure about it she 
would not have spoken, but she thought Daisy 
might answer the question that had suddenly come 
to her mind. 

“Was it? Well, that makes it all the worse. 
Daniel had no business to eat up his brother’s 
book. He shan’t have another leaf, just because,” 
said Daisy, with enjoyment of the chance to be 
lawfully vindictive. 


1 68 Dear Days 

^‘That will punish Henry Clay, too,” remon- 
strated Anna. 

“Well, that’s what the Bible says will happen, 
and I’m not going against the Bible,” virtu- 
ously. “ I’ve forgotten the verse, but I guess 
you know it.” 

“ ‘ The innocent shall suffer for the guilty ?’ ” 
Anna thoroughly appreciated the conceit. 

“Yes, that’s it. So you see, Mr. Daniel, how 
your badness makes Henry Clay suffer. Anna, 
we’re around this far, so I’ll show you the yard and 
the garden on the other side. We don’t attend to 
the flowers much, but some of them grow anyway.” 

They passed by the stable and saw the carriage 
that Anna had often seen stop at school for Daisy 
on rainy days. Near that, croquet wickets were 
set up ready for the next game. 

“You see the ground ain’t sanded and rolled, so 
our croquet is different. It’s lots of fun playing on 
grass. You think you’re going to do up your 
enemy, and you knock yourself way out.” 

“ Oh, forget-me-nots !” exclaimed Anna, as they 
passed a small bed of them by the graveled walk. 
“ I wonder what they call the kind that grows out 
in gardens ? It is so much prettier than that you 


An Oasis 


169 


buy at the florist’s. I do love forget-me-nots.” 
She thought only of praising, and pleasing Daisy 
by her appreciation, but then in a minute she was 
miserable because she thought that Daisy might 
misunderstand her motive. “ Oh, if she thinks she 
must pick a lot for me I shall die! Why can’t 
people be sensible ?” she thought. 

Daisy did not see the supposed obligation, how- 
ever. She showed that she was surprised at warm 
praise of such a common flower ; then pulled a 
stalk for Anna and stuck another in the embroidery 
of her dress. While Anna was still thankful, a turn 
in the walk brought them to a comfortable part of 
the yard. The thick foliage of the trees kept the 
sun from a young boy stretched out in a hammock ; 
Anna had just time to note the appearance of 
laziness and strength when he slowly sat up. 

How d’ye do, Anna ? I haven’t seen you for 
a long time, but Daisy lets us hear of you,” he 
said quickly, and then he had used all the words 
he had to say to the invalid. While Anna repeated 
his first three words he swung his feet, and then 
managed to add, “ Hot, isn’t it ? Didn’t you 
scorch coming down ?” 

“ Oh, no ; I didn’t notice the heat at all,” re- 


170 


Dear Days 


plied Anna. She was glad and yet sorry that she 
had again met Daisy’s brother ; if he would not 
talk to her, and would then go to sleep so that she 
could study his face, there would be only pleasure 
in the encounter. 

“You’re lucky. I’m roasting,” said Robert, and 
he lay back again with only a smile as excuse. He 
had been polite ; now let Daisy entertain her own 
company. 

“Arthur, get up and let me sit there,” said 
Daisy. Anna had not noticed the little boy sitting 
in the board swing that hung from the pear-tree. 
She was surprised when he obediently moved him- 
self to a rustic bench which had lost its seat. 

“ I didn’t know you had a little brother,” said 
Anna. 

“ I did, then ; he’s a perfect rascal. He’s only 
four, but he would put on pants, and he’s been 
worse than ever, since then,” said Daisy calmly. 

Anna gasped at this unmerciful recital of faults 
and turned to the child with the wish to comfort ; 
but he looked as comfortable as before, and grinned 
pleasantly in response to her smile. Evidently 
speech was free and not hurtful in this family. Just 
then a bat and ball were flung on the grass and the 


An Oasis 


171 

long legs of another boy followed them. Anna’s 
heart thumped. 

Why, how do ?” said Lowry, as he met Anna’s 
look, and then he dropped his eyes. How are 
you ?” 

“Very well,” dutifully answered Anna, but she 
wanted to add that she was not any better for the 
asking ; she was so tired of the question. “ There’s 
nothing the matter with my health,” she thought 
resentfully. “ I’m not any more likely to have 
chicken-pox and scarlet fever than you are.” 

“ Go make me some lemonade, Daisy,” said 
Lowry. 

“ I guess not. I never get it sweet enough for 
you, and you’ll have me trotting back and forth for 
sugar.” 

“ Well, go up to the house and tell Emma to 
make it.” 

“ I guess I can do that, because I want some 
myself,” sighed Daisy. Anna could hear her walk- 
ing slowly up the path and longed to hurry the 
feet, for she was intensely nervous because of the 
desertion. She was afraid if she addressed the 
little boy he would not answer, and she had 
nothing whatever to say to the young gentlemen. 


172 Bear Days 

After a painful silence the elder brother roused 
himself 

“ Do you like to go to school he asked, 
kindly. 

“Very much.” Anna could easily amplify in 
writing, but had not yet learned to do so in speech. 

“ I suppose you read a lot.” 

“ A great deal.” Every one asked that. 

“ That’s more than I do. I think reading is 
rather a bore.” He suppressed a yawn, and then 
added, “ I get too much at Prep.” 

Anna did not dare reveal her scorn to this lord 
of creation. “There are different kinds of books,” 
she ventured to explain. 

“ That’s so ; and I suppose if I had more time I 
would like to read story books.” Another yawn. 

“ Sometimes I read a poem, an essay and some 
history,” said Anna, demurely. 

There was voiceless surprise which lasted until 
Daisy returned. “ Emma says if you will wait long 
enough for it you will get it.” 

Anna detested lemonade, but she accepted and 
drank a glassful because it was offered by the 
young lady tom-boy whom she secretly adored. 
She saw her favorite type of girl for only a few 


An Oasis 


173 


minutes, but it was long enough to admire the 
rich red of her lips and decide that she was pretty 
even if Daisy did not think so. 

Let’s go back to the ant-house,” proposed 
Daisy. “ I want to show you a book of plays, and 
see which you think is the best. Some of us girls 
are going to act one just for fun.” 

Mrs. Joy was leaning out of the kitchen window 
as they went back. “ I am cooking dinner to-day. 
My girl is having a holiday,” she said. 

Dinner ! Anna had first a chill and then a fever. 
The afternoon had seemed so short, but now she 
knew that she must have been there some time ; 
she had no idea what the clock would tell and 
tremblingly she asked. 

Nearly half-past five,” said Mrs. Joy, politely. 

Anna was dismayed into silence. Five was the 
Rodericks’ dinner time, but that did not matter, 
because she knew her mother would not mind if 
she was late, but how she hoped that the Joys 
dined at the fashionable hour ! 

‘‘Won’t you stay and have dinner with us?” 
smoothly asked Mrs. Joy. 

Anna winced. Was Daisy’s mother hinting be- 
cause she thought the visitor did not yet know 


174 


Dear Days 


her fault? “Oh, no, I thank you,” said Anna, 
with brave composure. “ I must go now, if Daisy 
is ready. I am sorry I can’t read the plays, Daisy, 
but I had no idea it was so late.” 

“ Wait a minute.” Mrs. Joy stepped back from 
the window, and then handed out an umbrella and 
a car-ticket. “ I want you to ride home, Daisy. 
Don’t try to walk ; and hold that umbrella over you 
all the time you walk that square you can’t ride. 
The sun is fearfully hot, and bad for you.” 

Now Anna was badly hurt, and she shut her lips 
tightly to keep them steady. The agony, humilia- 
tion and helplessness of the situation made her feel 
sick. How could Mrs. Joy say that ? She knew 
that Anna must be taken home, and surely could 
guess that she was already thoroughly uncomfort- 
able. Over and over, as Daisy pushed her quickly 
along the street, Anna said to herself, “ Would a 
seven-square walk in the declining sun ruin a girl’s 
health ?” 

When two squares and a half from home they 
met Clifford going for Anna, and she was glad to 
part with any one by the name of Joy. While she 
ate her dinner alone, she thought “ It was perfectly 
lovely in Daisy to come for me, and I had a lovely 


An Oasis 


175 


time, and Mrs. Joy is lovely, — but I don’t like her 
one bit ! She makes me smart and burn ! I think 
she will scold Daisy for having me there.” 

When the Rodericks were again settled at The 
Grove, the boys and girls made “ Oak Cottage ” 
the headquarters for pleasure until the camp-meet- 
ings began. Then they gathered there quietly, and 
when any one forgot and spoke loudly or romped, 
they enjoyed enforcing silence until they had pushed 
Anna to the top of Fourth Avenue hill, where the 
big chestnut tree made a splendid roof for their 
pleasure ground. A rope swing was on one limb ; 
the largest limb grew almost in a horizontal line, 
and was just high enough to be beyond reach. 
The girls went up the trunk on a nail ladder, and 
then crawled only half-way out on the branch, 
from which perch they surveyed the surrounding 
country, and wrote letters, cut soap-stone into vari- 
ous shapes, or cut long, thin switches which would 
sting; but the boys jumped, swung, scrambled 
and conquered every inch. Anna read aloud and 
told stories whenever called upon, and treasured 
every leaf and twig thrown down as applause. When 
the spirit demanded a change, the comrades trav- 
eled a little farther on to The Knoll.” It was near 


176 


Dear Days 


enough to the boundary fence to cause the thought 
of possible tramps, but was within sight of the cot- 
tages, so that the fear was only pleasantly exciting. 
An exhibition of juvenile talent in song and reci- 
tation, and dainty food were the invariable enter- 
tainments provided. 

One evening just before a meeting in the taber- 
nacle there was a noisy group around Anna in the 
yard, while Mrs. Roderick entertained a lady on 
the porch. Anna’s attention was suddenly drawn 
from her friends as she heard the lady remark, 

“ She seems to charm them all ; she always has 
a crowd around her. Why, if I let my daughter 
come here as often as she would like, you would 
have to turn her out.” 

Anna was instantly hot with pleasure. She was 
glad the others had not heard because she did not 
want them to be conscious that they were attracted 
to her, and she deliberately made a funny speech 
that a laugh might drown Mrs. Roderick’s answer. 

“ They do like to come here, and I hope they 
like me,” she thought. ‘‘We do have some nice 
times. They are nearly over, but then I don’t 
mind so much because I’ll have those girls at the 
school !” 


CHAPTER XVI. 


A TEN o’clock SCHOLAR. 

“ A dillar, a dollar, 

A ten o’clock scholar, 

What makes you come so soon !” 

NE day after school had begun again, a new 



girl walked leisurely into the school-room 
about an hour after the opening time. 

The neat examples and the smeary examples 
had been washed off the several slates with the 
same sponge ; and while Miss Ivah talked with the 
expected new scholar, Anna’s slate presented a 
tempting blank for the applicable Mother Goose 
rhyme. The expectation of a perfect lesson and 
the realization of two crosses instead of all R's 
over her examples had corrupted the influential 
scholar. She did not care if her wrong-doing 
would put the others in a mischievous mood ; she 
did not care if they gave Miss Ivah whole pecks 
of trouble. 

My name is Leauase Masters. You have to 


( 177 ) 


12 


178 Dear Days 

say Louise, but it’s spelled L-e-a-u-a-s-e. That’s 
French, you know.” The fat girl with black hair 
and a muddy, stupid face seemed to be giving this 
information to Miss Ivah, but all her attention was 
given to the scholars. Mama thinks Nettie Pau- 
line has made all the arrangements for me to come 
here to school, but I told her to wait till I came to 
see how I like it. You see, I don’t have to go 
to school if I don’t want to. I told mama to get 
me out of bed at half-past eight this morning, but 
she didn’t do it till nine. I knew I was late then, 
so there wasn’t any use in hurrying.” 

“ She didn’t tell me any such thing,” muttered 
Nettie. “ She knows she told me to make every- 
thing all right with Miss Ivah. I see myself get- 
ting in that box again. Did you ever know such 
a story-teller ?” 

Nettie and I understood that you were to begin 
school this morning, and tardiness is not a good 
beginning. But perhaps your arrangement is best,” 
said Miss Ivah quietly. I think you will be com- 
fortable in this chair. We do not think of com- 
pelling your attendance, but we hope you will see 
that we have very pleasant times over our les- 
sons.” 


A Ten O'clock Scholar 179 

Every scholar cleared her throat to attract Miss 
Ivah’s attention and the teacher’s formality subsided 
into a quick smile. The twelve-year-old girl’s self- 
importance was disagreeable, but since there were 
appreciators of the humor in the situation she 
would look only at that side. 

Oh, are you only that far in geography ?” 
asked Miss Leauase Masters, after she had seen the 
girls point out rivers and mountains on the map of 
the United States. I have been way past that — 
to every place in the world. I should think you 
would be tired of North America.” 

The girls were beginning to respect knowledge, 
so they did not resent this stranger’s possession of 
it, but they were amused at her frank claiming of 
so much. Anna saw that no one but herself was 
contemptuous, so she resolved to hide her unfavor- 
able impression. 

We have just begun school and are reviewing 
our last year’s work,” explained Miss Ivah. “ If 
we have forgotten anything we shall be glad to 
have you prompt us, so we need not refer to the 
book.” 

In the girls’ opinion it was very delightful to 
have such chances to show what they knew, and 


i8o 


Dear Days 


they wondered why Miss Leauase did not look as 
pleased as she should. 

“Oh, gracious, Miss Ivah, I’ve forgotten there 
was such a thing as the Monongahela River,” said 
Daisy, in the middle of the lesson. “ I know we 
belong to the Mongolian race, but that is the best 
I can do for you.” 

There was an expectant pause ; the old scholars 
glanced at the visitor and waited for her to present 
that particular bit of knowledge as easily as Miss 
Ivah could do it. Miss Leauase, however, said not 
a word ; she was carefully arranging the folds of 
her dress and her face lacked any thought of rivers 
or of correcting mistakes. The scholars stared 
and the teacher suppressed a smile. 

“ Did you ever see such a heathen Chinee ?” 
whispered Nettie to Cora. 

The Monongahela was a lost river, and could 
not be located by any one, so Miss Ivah at last 
asked the visitor to help the scholars. All eyes 
watched as she took the pointer from Miss Ivah’s 
hand and walked slowly to the board. Behind 
her back there were uplifted hands and eyebrows 
as she turned to the left of the map and seemed 
to be staring at the Pacific seacoast. There she 



A Ten O’clock Scholar 





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A Ten O'clock Scholar i8i 

patted her hand with the pointer, and mused so 
long that Cora lost control of herself and stumbled 
against the stiff figure. It was a saving roughness, 
for as Miss Leauase neared the Atlantic coast Bes- 
sie kindly shoved the helpless hand into the State 
of Pennsylvania. Miss Leauase Masters kept it 
there, but she partly redeemed herself by continued 
silence. 

“ Ah, yes ; that is correct. Thank you,” said 
Miss Ivah, and she quickly asked another ques- 
tion. 

Perhaps the visitor thought that no one had 
noticed Cora’s seemingly accidental movement of 
her hand. She put on a smile and said, impres- 
sively, It’s so interesting when you get to Eng- 
land ; and then when you get through with that 
you cross the Strait of — er — of Clover, to Africa. 
It’s nice to study about that, but you’d freeze if you 
were really there, you know.” 

Anna suddenly turned a perfectly serious face to 
the visitor. “ Isn’t the Strait of Clover a pretty 
name ?” she asked, in a friendly manner. “ I sup- 
pose they named it that because pink clover grows 
on both sides, and you can smell it when you cross 
over in a row-boat.” A breathless silence followed, 


Dear Days 


] 82 

which frightened even Anna because it was entirely 
unusual for her to go out of her way to embarrass 
any one. 

‘‘The books don’t say why they named it that,” 
said Miss Leauase Masters, coldly. The other 
girls seemed dazed at first, but when they under- 
stood what the model scholar had done they 
grinned broadly and silently clapped their hands. 
At recess, the visitor carelessly asked to be directed 
to the nearest candy store and said that she would 
treat them to candy because that was expected of 
all newcomers. 

“She’s just at my hotel, you know,” eagerly 
began Nettie, as soon as Miss Leauase Masters had 
started for the store. “ She sits next to me at 
meals, and I thought she was quite nice. She 
talks as if she has all the money she wants and 
she’s French and has been to ever so many places, 
and her father’s something big in the Government. 
I told her about this school because I thought Miss 
Ivah ’d like to have another scholar. I guess if 
she stops putting on airs she’ll be all right — don’t 
you think so ?” Anxiously she awaited decision 
because she did not want to be held responsible for 
the disagreeable characteristics of the girl. 


A Ten O'clock Scholar 


183 

She’s so fat,” objected Cora. 

*‘Ask her to give you some of her fat,” said Daisy, 
crushingly. “I think it will be nice to have a French 
girl in our school. Let’s ask her to talk French 
for us. Nobody wants her old candy, though.” 

“Just let me tell you,” said Anna. “ It doesn’t 
matter that she’s fat, and we needn’t take her candy, 
and I like French people — if she is French. But I 
knew a girl when she was studying French, and 
she had a sister named Louise, and Louise told me 
that she knew one word in French, and that was 
Louise y because the French and the English word 
meant the same thing, and were spelled j ust exactly 
alike ! Now will you ask her to talk French ?” 

Condemnation and disgust were in every face 
because they never doubted Anna or any authority 
she quoted. 

“Well, everybody can’t know everything. You 
can’t shoot people for making mistakes,” said 
Daisy, who, for no reason at all, was perversely in- 
clined to defend the visitor. 

“They needn’t pretend,” said Anna, scornfully. 

“ Well, if she’s travelled around so far she 
can’t have been in school much, and I guess she’s 
ashamed,” persisted Daisy. 


184 


Dear Days 


“And I always thought French people were 
slim and lively,” continued Anna, still speaking 
with emphatic scorn. 

“ Well, Anna Roderick, you don’t know every- 
thing !” said Daisy, making a face. “She’ll be just 
enough to make the sides even when we play Pris- 
oners’ Base. We can teach her enough to do that. 
My ! that’s a big bag of candy she bought. I 
guess we might as well help her get through with 
it.” 

After being rebuked because of that girl Anna 
did not feel much like being pleasant, but she 
managed the conversation so that there should be 
no awkwardness, and accepted one piece of candy 
to show that she was not unfriendly. 

“You’re sure your mother would let you have 
it?” asked Leauase with disagreeable solicitude. 
“ I wouldn’t want to make you sick. Do you have 
to stay at home many days ? So many sick people 
and babies beg me for candy and their mothers tell 
me not to give them any, so I can’t do it.” 

“ I did not miss a day all last winter, and mama 
trusts me to know when I can eat candy,” pleas- 
antly answered Anna, though it required an effort 
to do so after her sacrifice to friendliness. 


A Ten O'clock Scholar 185 

Candy never hurts you, anyhow,” said Bessie, 
with a little indignation in her voice. “ Don’t you 
remember all those pickles and limes and pepper- 
mint drops and wintergreen and lemon drops you 
ate last spring?” 

“ Maybe you’d be better if you hadn’t eaten 
them,” persisted Leauase, with an air of wisdom. 

She’s been in a wheel-chair longer than last 
spring,” said Daisy, bluntly. ‘‘She isn’t one of 
those — ” 

“Anna ain’t a bit sick ; it’s just her legs won’t 
walk for her,” gravely explained Mattie. 

“ That is just it, Mattie,” said Anna, laughing un- 
constrainedly. “ I don’t have medicine bottles and 
beef-tea around me all the time.” 

“You’re lots better fun than a lot of sticks who 
can hop and run,” asserted Cora, without any em- 
barrassment. The rest could not speak so frankly 
before Anna, but they nodded assent. 

“It’s raining. You’ll all get rheumatism and 
have to ride in a chair like Anna if you stay out 
here,” said Mattie. 

“ There are five minutes more of recess so Bessie 
and I are going to sing a song for the company,” 
announced Daisy. “ This is the way we have to 


Dear Days 


i86 

do.” They put their arms about each other, put 
their heads affectionately together, and sang gustily, 

“ Comrades, comrades ever since we were boys, 

Sharing each other’s sorrows, sharing each other’s joys ; ' 

Comrades when manhood was dawning, faithful whate’er 
may betide. 

When I was called to my darling, oh, comrade was there 
by my side.” 

All but one of the audience hugged imaginary 
friends and produced sounding kisses as applause. 
Miss Leauase Masters stared disdainfully and re- 
marked, 

“ My music teacher won’t let me play street 
songs ; she is very particular. Anyway, that is a 
boy’s song.” 

“ It’s queer you don’t like M. M. Barker’s 
daughter, if you’re so fond of this dear,” whispered 
Anna to Daisy. Aloud she added, I know some 
better words for that tune. I made them up myself, 
so you must say they are fine. Listen !” With 
mischievous eyes intent upon the harsh critic she 
sang rapidly, 

“ Come rats, come rats, ever since we were mice, 

Sharing each other’s cheeses and everything else that’s 


nice ; 


A Ten O'clock Scholar 187 

Comrades when rathood was dawning, faithful whate’er 
may betide, 

When I was caught in a trap, oh, comrade was there by 
my side.” 

This received unmerited laughter and apprecia- 
tion. When all had exclaimed and praised, Miss 
Leauase Masters said calmly, 

Your voice cracked three times. Did you 
know it ? It sounded so funny.” 


CHAPTER XVII. 


CURIOSITY KILLED ITSELF. 


OOD-MORNING, Leauase. I did not ex- 



pect to see you this morning,” said Miss 
Ivah the next morning as the girl walked in the 
school-room at three minutes of nine. 

Well, I didn’t know that Nettie started so soon. 
I knocked at her door, and her mother said she’d 
been gone a long time ; but I’m not late. I had 
a time getting myself up so early this morning,” 
said Leauase, as she took off her hat and hung it 
beside the others. She smoothed her straight hair 
with her hand and then turned around to the sur- 
prised teacher. “ Where shall I sit ?” 

“ I have not thought about it. When you left 
yesterday you said nothing about coming, and 
Nettie said you had not spoken of making arrange- 
ments.” 

“Mama said she supposed I’d have to pay some 
in advance, but Nettie said she didn’t ; so I sup- 
pose it’s all right, isn’t it?” 


(i88) 


189 


Curiosity Killed Itself 

“ Oh, yes, it is all right if you have decided to 
come,” said Miss Ivah, deciding to allow liberty of 
action for awhile. Bessie, will you change your 
things to the desk near the window and let 
Louise have your seat ? Anna has more time to 
give any necessary help to a newcomer.” 

Anna would not show that she disliked the 
change. She was sure Leauase did not wish to 
have help from her, but as there was nothing else 
to be done, she was as friendly as her neighbor 
would allow. 

We are to review grammar this morning, and 
that will be a good way to find out whether you 
should go in the class with Anna or with the other 
girls.” Miss Ivah’s kindly glance was wasted. 
Leauase appeared oblivious to the necessity of any 
intercourse between herself and the teacher ; all of 
her attention was centered upon the physique and 
clothes of her school-mates. 

Miss Ivah, my mother says little girls must 
answer when they’re spoken to,” remarked Mattie. 

‘‘Your mother is right, and I hope that you will 
always — ” began Miss Ivah, but a loud snicker 
made her pause. She choked back a laugh and 
asked, composedly, “ What is it, girls ?” 


1 90 Dear Days 

Miss Gannet, don’t you think they’re queer 
girls ? They’re always laughing at something. I 
didn’t see anything happen,” said Leauase, after 
she had twisted around in her seat. Do you let 
us talk right out ?” 

When the lesson began the new scholar had the 
advantage of hearing all the others analyze the 
sentences on the board before she was again asked 
to prove her knowledge. 

‘‘What is the subject of the sixth sentence,” 
asked Miss Ivah. 

“ The subject — ” 

“Yes ?” 

“The subject is — ” 

“ Yes, the subject is what ?” 

“ The subject of the sentence — ” 

Miss Ivah turned to the board and put her finger 
at the beginning. “ This is the one. First tell us 
the subject, and then the predicate.” 

Leauase looked into Anna’s eyes without any 
expression of pleading, but Anna impulsively made 
her lips frame the words “ The farm,” and then she 
felt as if she had been banished from Eden because 
she had yielded to the temptation to cheat, even if 
it was for the benefit of another. 


Curiosity Killed Itself 191 

That’s right. Now the predicate,” said Miss 
Ivah. Again she turned to the board, so that she 
would not retard the development of thought. 

“ ^ Is the best in the State,’ ” recklessly whispered 
Anna, and Leauase blindly repeated. She showed 
no gratitude for the help, but Anna continued to 
give it and was more angry and miserable every 
time there was necessity for prompting. At the 
noon recess Leauase said that she had a bad head- 
ache, and was excused for the afternoon. 

That is too bad. I was going to return your 
treat, but I’ll try to keep the money in my pocket 
till to-morrow,” said Daisy. 

“ You can go with me as far as the store, and I’ll 
eat my share on the way home. Candy always 
makes my headaches better,” said Leauase, coolly. 

Daisy hid her surprise and answered promptly. 
That’s what I’ll do if you’ll talk some French 
before you go. We don’t any of us know it, and 
we want to see how it sounds. I think it’s lovely 
you can do it.” 

“What kind of candy are you going to get?” 
asked Leauase. “ I like chocolate creams the best. 
I hope you don’t like peppermint drops. They are 
so vulgar.” She seemed to think that Daisy’s re- 


192 


Dear Days 


quest did not deserve an answer. A dozen indig- 
nant eyes should have disturbed her serenity, but 
again she admired her dress as she waited for an 
answer. 

My mother says — ” began Mattie, but Bessie 
stopped her. 

“ I shall get something we all like,” said Daisy, 
a little stiffly. But never mind that. We want 
you to say just a few French words. What is 
think you’re awful nice’ in French?” 

Come on ; if you don’t hurry I won’t get to 
the hotel till everybody’s eaten the best of every- 
thing,” said Leauase, still calmly disregarding every- 
thing but her own wish. She walked on and pulled 
Daisy after her. Daisy obeyed, but she made her 
heels kick back a most meaning comment, and 
the girls clapped wildly. Afterward while tenderly 
cherishing her small share of chocolate creams 
Daisy betrayed the fact that Leauase had peev- 
ishly exclaimed, “ They ought to know that clap- 
ping hurts my head. They’re so noisy.” 

The next day when Anna reached the school- 
room Bessie was moving her things back to the 
desk beside Anna’s. “ Oh, I am so glad Miss Ivah 
has moved that girl !” she exclaimed. 


Curiosity Killed Itself 


193 


Miss Ivah hasn’t moved her.” 

Oh, you are not doing it without — ” 

Oh, no ; she’s not I' snapped Daisy. Every- 
body beside you ain’t wicked.” 

Leauase Masters isn’t coming any more,” said 
Nettie. 

*‘Why not?” Anna was much surprised and 
very much relieved. 

Nettie hesitated and flushed. Well, she said 
she wasn’t.” 

‘^But why? Of course if it were me I’d be 
ashamed to come ; but she didn’t seem to know 
that she didn’t know anything.” 

Didn’t you tell her that grammar ?” questioned 
Cora. I believe she’s a bigger dunce than 
I am.” 

I don’t know what made me tell her ; I’m 
ashamed that I did. But, Nettie, why did she say 
she wasn’t coming?” 

“She said she wasn’t coming here to teach 
French for nothing.” Daisy thought the joke 
would silence Anna. 

“ Did she really ? No, of course not. But what 
did she say, then ? Is it so awful ? Oh, is there an 
objection to my knowing ? Why, I can see that 

13 


194 


Dear Days 


all of you know.” Anna paused to wonder if she 
should be hurt because she was left out. “ You’re 
just trying to tease me. Do tell.” 

All but Bessie stood so that their faces could not 
be easily seen. She spread out her arms and bowed. 

I’ll tell you all you want to know if you’ll tell 
me first.” She straightened up, laughed, and 
added, “You didn’t expect Nettie to get much out 
of Miss L-e-a-u-a-s-e Masters, did you ?” 

Anna laughed and quietly turned to her desk, 
but all the morning, as she worked over her les- 
sons, her curiosity became stronger ; the mystery 
was so tantalizing and interesting ; that there was 
something to tell she was sure, and Bessie’s pretty 
subterfuge strengthened the belief. Half the time 
she thought they wished to tease her, and would 
be disappointed if she did not return the teasing. 
Then she thought that they were just as mean as 
they could be to have a secret from her. She would 
find out in some way, just because ! She wondered 
w'hy Miss Ivah allowed Nettie and Bessie to go 
together to the bath-room to wet their slate rags, 
when the rule was that only one should be absent 
from the school-room at one time, and then usually 
they used her sponge. Later, Nettie and Daisy 


CuHosity Killed Itself 195 

were permitted to go together to wash out their 
rags ; usually dirty rags were tossed into the waste- 
basket. Then Nettie and Cora slid out of the room 
without any audible excuse and Miss Ivah did not 
become stern. Why was Nettie such a favorite ? 
Anna made a big blot on her sample sentences 
when she suddenly guessed. They wanted to talk 
about their secret, and of course Nettie was the 
one who started it. Then Miss Ivah must know, 
too. Well, it would not be long before it was 
known to every one in the school. At recess 
Anna detained Miss Ivah. 

“ So you are not to have a fine French scholar. 
Wasn’t she funny ? But why isn’t she coming ? 
School opened before the girls told me.” 

“ I’m sure she does not know what is in her 
mind. My sister told me to send her a bill for two 
days’ tuition and impudence, but I shall not do 
that.” Miss Ivah laughed as she left the room. 

Anna turned determinedly to the restless girls. 
“What on earth were you doing out of the room 
so much ?” 

“ Why, Miss Ivah said we could go to the bath- 
room to do our week’s washing,” answered Bessie. 
“ Slate rags and cloths get dirty, you know.” 


196 Dear Days 

“ Oh, yes, I know. But I don’t think it was 
very well done. You talked too much ; and I 
know what you were talking about, too.” 

The girls exchanged glances and that encour- 
aged Anna to renew the attack. 

You were talking about your old secret, and 
that’s why that girl isn’t coming back, and I 
know why, so I think you might tell just what she 
said.” 

Still all were silent except Cora. “ Well^ I 
reckon you’ll fuss and fret, and it ain’t much, so 
I’ll tell you if you want to know so bad. It ain’t 
much of a secret. She said she wasn’t coming 
here to school because it made her sick to look 
at you.” 

Oh, she did !” said Anna, smilingly. 

The statement was like a slap in the face which 
hurts every nerve because of its suddenness. The 
scholars’ manner when with her had been so easy 
and natural that she had forgotten that they could 
treat her in any other way ; they had been so kind 
that she could not suspect the need for them to 
hide unkindness. How she hated herself for forc- 
ing frankness, and so making them embarrassed 
and uncomfortable ! It was almost unendurable to 


Curiosity Killed Itself 197 

know that she should be the cause of Miss Ivah 
losing a scholar. Her own hurt did not trouble 
her half so much as the knowledge that she had 
wilfully been the cause of discomfort to her school- 
mates. While she quickly thought all this, she 
was clearly conscious that there was only one thing 
to be done to lighten the misery. She must appear 
to take the matter carelessly, and without full un- 
derstanding. She had quickly uttered the three 
words because she felt that she must not be silent 
at that moment. She looked in astonishment at all 
and then added. 

And Miss Ivah put her right next to me ! 
What a pity ! She was in bed when you came 
away, wasn’t she, Nettie ?” 

I guess so. She hadn’t poked her nose in the 
dining-room.” 

‘‘ Well, I have a dime in my pocket. I’ll buy 
some chocolate creams, and Nettie can take them 
to her from the school. If I made her sick I ought 
to try to make her well,” said Anna, bravely mak- 
ing her voice express only pleasantry. 

“ Give me the money. I’ll make better use of 
it,” said Daisy. 

“You can buy the candy and I’ll eat it on the 


198 


Dear Days 


way home. I won’t save one for that old girl ! I 
wish I had never seen her ; I just tell you I won’t 
speak to her again. Hotels are horrid places, any- 
way,” said Nettie, crossly. 

“ That’s why you are not as nice as we are ; but 
it ain’t your fault, and we love you just the same,” 
said Daisy, soothingly. 

In the afternoon requests for the privilege of 
whispering were noticeable, but Anna cared not if 
the girls had a thousand secrets. When all had 
started for home together, Daisy came back and 
put her head in the door. 

“ We’re not such mean things after all, are we ? 
Oh, to think of Miss Proper-Prim prying ! I’ll 
have to bring you some taffy for being so good ; 
Emma’s going to make some, and I tell you it’s 
fine ! Good-by.” 

While Anna waited for Janet she leaned back in 
her chair and mused. “ Well, I hope my curiosity 
is dead and buried below China. I always get 
punished when I’m sarcastic, and untruthful, and 
curious. I just won’t be curious and untruthful any 
more, but I don’t see how I’m going to stop being 
sarcastic !” 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


BOOKWORMS BOTHER. 

OCHOOL and scholars and teacher and lessons 
^ and the people living on the way to school 
were everyday matters, and therefore not so in- 
teresting, by the middle of the second term. 
Nothing was untried, so Anna had no difficulty in 
adjusting herself to people, principles and places. 
Her energy and thought needed additional occu- 
pation. The companionship with Clifford was at 
an end because he was now at school, and liked to 
play with the boys in the yard till dark, and de- 
manded stories only at bedtime. It was Miss Ivah 
who accidentally suggested the thing needed to 
occupy her time by substituting ''The Old Curi- 
osity Shop” for the Franklin Reader. All of the 
girls were charmed with the new reading lessons 
until Quilp was introduced ; then all except Anna 
declared that that thing or creature was too awful 
to read about, that the book was disgusting, that 
Dickens was horrid, and that Miss Ivah was mean 

( 199 ) 


200 


Dear Days 


to make them begin such a nasty thing. Miss 
Ivah was a little astonished at this result, and Anna 
was amazed. 

“ Do get something else, Miss Ivah,” entreated 
Daisy. We don’t want to read any more of that 
horrid, stupid book. Nell dies, anyway. Emma 
says so, and I know I’ll cry when I come to that 
part. Dickens ! I don’t think he’s much.” 

*‘I don’t think he’s anything,” said Bessie. 

“ He is fine,” asserted Anna. “ I read a lot of 
his books last summer, and they’re just — just fine. 
Of course Quilp is awful, but you needn’t mind 
him. He can’t come out of the book and be cruel 
to j/ou.” 

“You just stuffed yourself with books last sum- 
mer. Were they all by Dickens ?” asked Nettie. 
“ Every time we girls would go to see Anna she’d 
be reading, and have to shut a book and poke it in 
the back of her carriage.” 

“ A lot of them were Dickens’ books, but I didn’t 
read this one. A long time ago, though, I went 
one day to my aunt’s house, and while the children 
went to the store to get some candy they gave me 
that to read. It was a very hot day so only one 
shutter was open in the parlor where I was. Read- 


Bookworms Bother 


201 


ing about that queer old shop, and Nell being there 
alone at night, and thinking about my being alone 
in that dark room, frightened me so that I shut the 
book and just shivered till the children came rush- 
ing in. You see, I was too young to read that 
book then.” 

“That’s it. Miss Ivah ; we’re too young to read 
it now,” said Bessie, glad to find such a sensible 
excuse. 

“I’m going to stay young forever,” announced 
Daisy. “ I don’t see any sense in reading that 
stuff. I’m never going to be old enough to do 
it.” 

“ Then we’ll wait till you are in your teens and 
want to be out of them,” said Miss Ivah, smilingly. 
“ Anna, you may take the book home and finish it, 
if you like.” 

“Indeed, I don’t want to be a young lady!” 
sniffed Daisy. “ Silly things I I’m never going to 
be old if I live to be a hundred. I’m going to like 
everything just as much as I do now. Most old 
ladies are so horrid ; nothing ever suits them.” 

“ Good for you ! I think you’ll be a lovely old 
lady,” applauded Anna. “ Maybe you won’t like 
pickles and peppermints so much when you’re 


202 Dear Days 

ninety, but you’ll be just as lively and funny, won’t 
you ?” 

“ If I get to be as wrinkled as sin and all bent 
over and have to walk with a crutch and cane, I 
ain’t going to be groany and grumpy, and scold 
when the door is banged or ain’t shut ; and when 
anybody hunts for my specs, I shan’t tell ’em that’s 
what somebody will be doing for them some day. 
Anna, ain’t some old grandmothers snappy?” 

‘‘ I never knew but one, except those in books. 
I have one of my own, and she’s the best in the 
world,” said Anna proudly. 

She gladly borrowed “ The Old Curiosity Shop ” 
on Friday and was proud to return it Monday. 
Miss Ivah was surprised. 

“ Have you finished it so soon ? I suppose you 
were so interested that you read till you finished.” 

Did you cry over Nell ?” curiously demanded 
Daisy. 

“ Not a single bit !” said Anna triumphantly. 
‘‘ I shut my hands so tight that they ached, and 
winked so quick that I could hardly see the words, 
and breathed so fast that I nearly choked, but I 
didn’t cry !” 

Have you read ‘ Kenilworth ’ by Walter 


Bookworms Bother 


203 


Scott ?” asked Miss Ivah. “ I will lend you that, 
if you want it.” 

Oh, thank you ! I’ve been wanting to read it. 
My cousin told me the other day that when they 
play that in the theatre they grab what’s-her-name 
just before she falls through the trap-door. Just 
think of the theatre being nicer than the book !” 
mournfully. 

^^You can see it played and then pretend the 
book is like it,” said Daisy, wishing to comfort. 

I am a Methodist,” said Anna, stiffly. 

You told me that once before. Needn’t think 
you’re going to make me one !” snapped Daisy 

The Methodist church will not allow its mem- 
bers to go to the theatre,” politely explained Anna, 
though she was secretly blaming Daisy for ignor- 
ance. 

Oh, my, how funny ! Our church doesn’t say 
we shan’t do anything. Can you dance?” 

‘‘No.” 

“ What else do they say you mustn’t do ?” 

“ Play cards and go to the circus and — and wear 
dresses that cost a lot.” Anna was not certain 
about the last, but she added it because Daisy’s 
expression was becoming interesting. 


204 


Dear Days 


‘‘ Oh, I love to play cards, only nobody will 
play with me because I don’t play very well. Our 
rector went to the theatre last week ; so I suppose 
you will say we are bad. Our church minds its 
own business.” 

“Yes, your church is nothing but sticks in a 
garden with nothing growing on them,” said Anna, 
hotly. “ That’s minding its own business too 
well.” 

Daisy did not understand figurative speech and 
was not feeling pugnacious just then. “ Oh, bother 
the church ; I have enough of it on Sunday. I 
stay home whenever mama’ll let me, and go to 
sleep when I’m there. I’m so glad when the ser- 
mon’s over.” 

Now it was Anna who did not understand. She 
loved to go to church. After the anthem the ser- 
mon was the best part to her. She thought God 
was so lovely and interesting, and tried to remem- 
ber all that the preachers said about Him. She 
was so glad He liked people to go to church, be- 
cause it was such a little thing to do to please. 
She felt that if she confessed her liking for the 
church she would be considered peculiar, but 
loyalty forced her to say it. 


Bookworms Bother 


205 


‘‘You must be good,” commented Bessie, in the 
wondering, doubting tone Anna expected. “ I 
never go to church. I go to Sunday-school with 
Daisy, and that’s enough for me.” 

“ Who wrote that book you were talking about ?” 
asked Daisy, who thought they had talked long 
enough about a tiresome thing. 

“Walter Scott.” The question surprised Anna. 

“Who’s he?” 

“Why, don’t you — ” Anna checked herself. 
She always tried to keep people from knowing how 
ignorant they were, because she did not want to be 
the unkind one who made them see how little they 
knew. “ He’s that Scotchman who wrote all those 
lovely historical books which are just like stories. 
You can learn a lot from them, and you don’t mind 
the learning a bit. ‘ Kenilworth ’ tells about Queen 
Elizabeth and the men who wanted to marry her.” 

“ Is she the one that goes through the trap- 
door?” The girls laughed and Daisy added, con- 
fusedly, “ Oh, I forgot, — but Great Scott could 
have made it Queen Elizabeth. You can have any- 
thing you want in a book.” 

“ But Sir Walter Scott wrote about true things.” 

The next day Anna returned the book, and could 


206 


Dear Days 


not understand why Miss Ivah was still more sur- 
prised at such promptness. 

“ Didn’t you like it well enough to finish it?” 

Oh, yes. I studied my lessons before I went 
home so I could read till I finished it at nine 
o’clock. No, I didn’t skip. You see, I read fast. 
Why, I can easily read three and four books a day, 
but often I skip where it tells how a house is fur- 
nished and how the scenery looks. I want to get 
at the people and what they do ; I do wish they 
wouldn’t put in so much about grandmothers and 
grandfathers who are dead long ago !” 

Do you like to read much ?” asked Bessie. 

Oh, yes.” To Anna that question seemed 
an unnecessary one. “ Only I have such a time 
getting enough books. My aunt gets them from 
the Treasury Department and my father from the 
War Department, and mama and Janet and papa 
get them from the Sunday-school. But I’ve read 
so many, and of course they never know which ones 
I have read so I seldom get a new one.” 

“ We have a lot of books. I can bring some here 
for you to take home,” said Bessie, with such pretty 
pleasure in the offering that Anna was charmed. 
“ Have you ever read ‘ Betty, A Butterfly ’ ?” 


Bookworms Bother 


207 


No, but I saw it advertised and wished I could. 
It will be lovely in you to bother with books for 
me. Are you sure your mother won’t mind?” 

“ Of course not. I’ll ask her what you’ll like. 
I’ll have my school-books, so I can’t bring enough 
for a whole day, but I’ll bring some to-morrow.” 

As Anna waited in the school-room the next 
morning she thought she heard subdued giggling 
in the hall. Suddenly the door was flung open, 
and in walked Bessie, panting from the exertion of 
keeping her arm securely around a pile of story- 
books. Daisy followed and was heavily loaded with 
school-books and lunch-baskets. 

“ Did you ever see such sights as we are ?” 
gasped Daisy. ” We had to sit down on the 
curbstone to rest ; Bessie didn’t want to at first, 
but I told her it was fun. Who cares what people 
say ? What will Janet say to pushing all those 
books home?” 

“ She will be so glad she won’t have to go bor- 
rowing. I hope you are not very tired.” 

“ That didn’t hurt us. We didn’t have to bring 
so many if we didn’t want to,” said Bessie. “ I 
hope you’ll like them all. I haven’t read them, 
but mama has.” 


208 


Dear Days 

During the following school months it became 
the habit of Anna and Bessie to arrive at school 
with an armful of books, and depart with a pile of 
different ones. Bessie was the only scholar who 
cared to give up any play-time to reading, so the 
borrowing, lending and discussing were confined 
to Anna and the girl who was a traitor to sport. 
The others were often disgusted by their failure to 
secure attention from the two who were absorbed 
in grumbling at the authors, because they did not 
make the characters act and the books end as they 
wished. Miss Ivah was interested in the epidemic 
of reading, but had to be stern in enforcing the 
proper boundary. Anna went through the pro- 
ductions of writers for girls, and then with less 
relish waded through the Indian stories, war 
stories, hunting stories, sea stories, and the adven- 
tures of Ragged Dicks, Tattered Toms, Harrys and 
Williams. Her mind became so stuffed with this 
conglomeration that there was no room for the 
permanent lodgment of valuable facts and neces- 
sary knowledge. 

A history lesson one day showed her that she 
was accepting knowledge on a false pretense. She 
was supposed to take it “for keeps,” and instead 


Bookworms Bother 


209 


she held it until the teacher’s back was turned and 
then dropped it from her grasp. When she had 
answered Miss Ivah’s first question in the lesson of 
that day, she realized that she could not make a 
perfect recitation if it was conducted in the usual 
way. With an instinctive desire to avoid disgrace, 
she prevented the asking of another question by 
rattling off the whole lesson as it was printed in the 
book. She spoke quickly and smiled broadly so 
Miss Ivah did not suspect anything wrong and did 
not interrupt. 

“ Rather an unusual lesson,” was the teacher’s 
smiling comment. Anna was flushed and tri- 
umphant, and yet ashamed. She saw clearly then 
that it was wrong to read so much, and she acted 
at once. 

Don’t bring me any more books, Bessie,” she 
said immediately after school. I have been read- 
ing too much. You know there was a boy who 
put so many chips into a bushel-basket that when 
he tried to put in some potatoes he needed, they all 
rolled off. I guess I’ll starve if I don’t keep more 
potatoes in my mind.” 

I don’t see what good it does you to read 

so much,” said Daisy, contemptuously. 

14 


210 


Dear Days 


‘*Why, I’ve learned more things from story- 
books than from study -books.” 

What on earth is there in them ? Nothing but 
make-believe.” 

‘‘What? Just lots and lots of things are in 
story-books ! Not the way to do a sum, or 
analyze a sentence, or place a city, or tell what 
king fought where, married whom and died when, 
but — other things. What are some of them. Miss 
Ivah? I can’t explain.” 

“ Different people’s way of living, what people 
think about many things, the names of poets and 
parts of their poetry, names of other good writers, 
the occupations of people, the scenery of many 
places, and many things it would be hard to ex- 
plain.” 

“ Oh, but you don’t need to know those things,” 
said Nettie, contentedly. 

“Well, I shall drop school and take that easy 
way of learning,” announced Daisy. “ I’d rather 
read all day than go to school all day.” 


CHAPTER XIX. 


LETTER A IN DISGRACE. 



HY, what is the matter, Anna?” asked 


Miss Ivah. Anna was pale, and her lips 


and voice trembled as she answered: 

Papa brought me this morning, so I came in 
the street instead of on the pavement. Before we 
knew it, a red-faced man came up in a buggy be- 
hind us, and yelled and swore at us because we were 
in the way. Papa said he was drunk. — It wasn’t 
any of it pleasant^ you know. It made papa very 
angry, and — I didn’t like to be the reason. I got 
nervous, and — when I’m nervous I want to cry. I 
just won't do that, so this old body is making me 
tremble to pay for it ; but it’s all right ; I won’t 
mind in a little bit. Talk to me about some- 
thing.” 

It was the first time Anna had frankly appealed 
for help of any kind since she had been at the 
school. She knew that she had to choose between 
an appeal for aid in diverting her mind and a fit 


(2II ) 


212 


Dear Days 


of crying, and the former was less humiliating. 
She hoped she could stop the trembling in her 
body before the girls came. When they rushed in, 
they were too excited and expectant to notice her. 

“Oh, Miss Ivah, aren’t you scared?” asked Bes- 
sie, panting. “ We’re going to have a war with 
France !” 

“Ain’t it dreadful !” from Daisy. “And I have 
a father and three brothers !” 

“ My father’s the captain of a ship. I guess 
they’ll have to have boats to take everybody to 
France, won’t they?” inquired Nettie. “ I’m going 
to write to papa and tell him to run away with his. 
When he comes back, he can be so surprised we’ve 
had a war.” 

“ I’m mighty glad I ain’t got no father or 
brother,” declared Cora. 

Miss Ivah had suspected a joke because such a 
statement was so aburd, but at last she believed in 
the sincerity of the girls’ fright. “ What is all this 
excitement about?” she asked. 

“Why, we’re fighting with France, and just 
think of the people that are going to be killed ! I 
don’t see why we couldn’t keep out of scrapping, 
and why every old country couldn’t behave itself. 


Letter A in Disgrace 


213 


Miss Ivah, are you going to let us make bandages 
an hour every day as the children did during the 
Civil War?” demanded Daisy. 

“ Yes, you’d better, Miss Ivah, so we’ll have 
something with which to tie up these cracked 
heads,” said Anna. She was accustomed to reading 
the newspapers and so was rankly skeptical. A 
war with France — the idea !” 

“ Well, it’s a mean old idea, but it’s true,” as- 
serted Bessie. She was perched on her desk and 
was kicking the seat of her chair as if it were the 
enemy. “ After helping us so nicely when we were 
fighting England I think it was horrid in France 
to turn around and fight us.” 

Nettie suddenly took her geography from her 
desk and quickly turned the leaves till she found the 
map of Europe. Then she held a pen high above 
her head as she said solemnly, “ I am not a boy, so 
they would not let me fight for my country, but a 
pen is mightier than the sword, and with it I shall 
blot France off of the face of the earth.” As she 
spoke the last words she dropped her pen to the 
bottom of her ink-bottle and then let it rest on the 
space given to France on the map. 

Anna laughed ; the speech and action were so 


214 


Dear Days 


amusing, and every one looked so shocked. I 
didn’t know you could think of such a lovely thing 
to do,” said she, admiringly. 

I didn’t,” laughed Nettie. Daisy said she 
wished she dared do it to her book. I didn’t care 
about mine so I said I would do it, but she had to 
write down the speech for me. You didn’t see her 
holding up her slate so that I could read what was 
on it, did you ?” 

Miss Ivah hastily put the corner of a blotter to 
the inky country so that it would absorb the black 
flood. I do not see anything so lovely in the 
act of destroying books for such a silly reason. 
Do you understand, Anna? As to a war with 
France — I am sure there is no such thing. The 
newspapers would announce it, and I read this 
morning’s paper. Where did you get that idea?” 

‘‘ Oh, it’s so!” persisted Daisy. We met a boy 
who had just come from the War Department, and 
he said the people there were standing on their 
heads. I guess the scrap began after this morn- 
ing’s paper was printed.” 

“ I think the boy was teasing you,” said Miss 
Ivah, with a quick smile. There is no earthly 
reason why we should have a war with France. 


Letter A in Disgrace 


215 


To satisfy you I will ask my father if any extras 
are out. He has just come in from down town.” 
She returned in a few minutes, and could not help 
laughing at the expectant faces. “ I am sorry to 
disappoint you. My father says there has been 
no announcement of a war. Now will you be- 
lieve me ?” 

“ Well, I’m sure I don’t want to have any war !” 
exclaimed Bessie, and then all felt that it was per- 
missible to go back to such every day matters as 
lessons and orderly conduct. 

The war scare had entirely calmed Anna’s agita- 
tion over the morning’s adventure, but Miss Ivah’s 
rebuke made her eyes burn and her throat smart 
again. She had had no intention of offending, and 
supposed that of course the rest would laugh with 
her. She resented their failure to appreciate the 
funny part, and thought Miss Ivah unjustly harsh. 
Her customary self-control had been weakened by 
contact with the drunken man and she hated Miss 
Ivah for further taxing her endurance. The smart 
and the shame and the nervous fear of crying, 
aroused angry, sullen thoughts. After being so 
scrupulously good for nearly two terms, it was hard 
to be reproved for so small a thing. 


2i6 


Dear Days 


“ I wish to have your undivided attention for 
this lesson,” said Miss Ivah, as she opened a 
grammar book. “ When we meet this new prin- 
ciple later I do not want you to tell me that you 
never knew anything about it.” The principle was 
dissected, put together again, and numerous ex- 
amples were given. Then each girl’s comprehen- 
sion was tested, and destroyed or strengthened ac- 
cording to its conformance to rule. Anna was the 
last one to be called to prove her understanding of 
the new work. 

I can’t do it,” she said, without looking up to 
see the surprised looks. 

What do you mean ? Don’t you understand ?” 
pleasantly asked Miss Ivah. 

“ I can’t do it. That’s all.” 

‘‘ Why, it is not a bit hard. This is the rule, you 
know,” and again it was explained. ‘‘ Now see if 
you can’t apply it.” 

I can’t.” 

Were you attending when the others did their 
part?” Miss Ivah did not suspect anything but 
inability to understand, and the unusual density 
puzzled her. 

“ I was listening, but I can’t do it.” 


Letter A in Disgrace 


217 


** Then Bessie will do it again while you w'atch.” 

Any other girl would have been more endurable 
to Anna, because the others were only surprised at 
her unusual behavior. Bessie was disdainful of 
such ignorance, and she stepped to the board too 
quickly for Anna’s pleasure. 

^^You saw then, didn’t you?” asked Miss Ivah, 
as Bessie finished. “ Now here is one for you to 
do. I am sure you will do it right if you try.” 

Anna was silent a minute, and then said stub- 
bornly, I saw what Bessie did, but I can’t do that 
one. 

Try,” said her teacher decidedly. “ Do you 
know what this is?” pointing to a part of the 
sentence. Telling a lie in general terms was dif- 
ferent from doing it specifically six or seven times, 
so Anna was forced to do what she had said she 
could not, because she could not make herself be 
untruthful so many times at once. I thought it 
was only timidity,” said Miss Ivah, with a smile of 
triumph. She was glad she had been successful in 
helping the scholar who so seldom failed. Now 
try that one by yourself.” 

“ I can’t do it.” The open sullenness in the 
tone made Miss Ivah instantly grave. She looked 


2 1 8 Dear Days 

at Anna a minute and* then said, with some dis- 
pleasure, 

‘^Why, Anna?” 

The bewildered girls were not more silent than 
Anna. 

I spoke to you, Anna.” 

Anna closed her grammar, poked it in her desk 
and leaned back in her chair. Because I don’t 
feel like it,” she said, indifferently. 

“ Have you a headache?” 

No.” 

Are you ill in any way?” 

I don’t feel sick.” Nevertheless she longed 
to get in bed and cry herself to sleep and wake up 
in the morning without anything to trouble her. 
She thought it was a mistake for her to come to 
school and try to be like other girls ; right near her 
mother was the best place for an invalid. Her 
mother knew when a thing was funny and always 
laughed at it, too. 

Then I do not see why you cannot do this as 
well as the rest of the girls. You must — ” 

I can’t do it, and it’s just because I won*t” 
said Anna, fiercely. “ I’m sick and tired of the 
old thing and I’m not going to do it now.” She 


Letter A in Disgrace 219 

knew that she was then past the danger of crying 
and the rest did not matter. She could have given 
in and cried, but would not do that ; it was ever so 
much better to be bad, than to be a baby. Who 
cared for the effect on the other scholars ? They 
need not expect to go to Heaven on her goodness. 

“ I must keep you in for half an hour after 
school. We will talk about the lesson then,” said 
Miss Ivah, for she could no longer mistake the 
ugliness of Anna’s manner. 

Nettie and Bessie could not help grinning at 
Anna because the punishment was an every-day 
occurrence which would have been endured even 
if there had been no misbehavior. Anna grinned 
back, but the fact that she would have stayed in 
any event was no satisfaction to her. The disgrace 
was horrible, and she mourned over the break in 
her good record. When school closed her pas- 
sion was entirely gone, but she was writhing under 
shame of another kind. She had lowered herself 
and given trouble to the teacher who had been 
so kind ! Extenuating circumstances could not alter 
that fact. 

“ Well, Anna, what excuse have you to offer for 
your disrespectful conduct this morning?” asked 


220 


Dear Days 


Miss Ivah, as she stood looking kindly at the 
downcast face before her. She tried hard to be 
properly offended but could only wonder what had 
changed the scholar on whom she depended so 
much. 

There is nothing to excuse it,” said Anna, very 
low. Then she looked up. ‘‘ Oh, Miss Ivah, 
wasn’t I just perfectly horrid? I felt like I was 
somebody else at first, but after I got started I 
liked to be nasty and mean.” After that confession 
she expected a much worse punishment. 

Miss Ivah almost smiled. Why did you start ?” 

Anna hesitated. '‘You wouldn’t laugh, and I 
got angry. I wouldn’t have inked my book for 
anything. But I don’t see why that made me so 
horrid.” 

“ I was very much surprised. Of course I must 
have obedience and respect from my scholars.” 
Anna thought Miss Ivah’s dignity was so pretty. 
“You have always helped me so much. May I 
still depend on you ?” 

“ Oh, yes, if you can. If I start to be bad again 
I’ll stop right away.” Anna could not make her- 
self say any more, but her eyes were expressive. 

“ Then we will say nothing more about it.” 


Letter A in Disgrace 221 

Anna drummed on her desk for ten minutes and 
then stopped with a loud thump as she finished 
reasoning. “ I just hate myself for acting like that, 
but it wasn’t all bad that came of it,” she thought. 

Miss Ivah won’t act as if I couldn’t be bad if I 
wanted to, and the girls saw that I was bad, so they 
won’t think I’m too good to be nice. I’ve had a 
fling and now I suppose I’ll just have to hug my 
old influence and go just where ever it pulls. Oh, 
dear me, what a world this is !” 


CHAPTER XX. 


EASTER MONDAY. 



HE days and weeks went on, and Anna reso- 


lutely refrained from inciting or encouraging 
lawlessness in the school. Sometimes she found 
goodness very dull and longed to see the others 
become fractious, but there was compensation in 
seeing Miss Ivah’s happiness because of such good 
behavior. Then anticipation helped, for Mr. Rod- 
erick had begged the privilege of taking Miss Ivah’s 
scholars to the annual egg-rolling in the grounds 
of the White House on Easter Monday. He 
grumbled long and loud because the Government 
did not grant play and pay to the big children on 
that day as it did many other times, and then 
sighed as he condescended to take one of his thirty 
days’ annual leave that he might keep his engage- 
ment with his daughter and her friends. 

Anna laughed at his sorrow. “ The biggest 
pigs in the world are penned up in Washington ! 
Did you know that, papa? Uncle Sam’s clerks 


( 222 ) 


Easter Monday 223 

want to gobble up everything and never say thank 
you !” she declared, saucily. 

“ Listen to that !” said Mr. Roderick reproach- 
fully, but wrinkles of amusement were around his 
eyes. “ I shall take a newspaper and a basket of 
provisions, and listen to secrets all day. You must 
take care of the children ; I’ll rescue them from 
any danger you see, but I can’t manage that 
tribe.” 

Like the rest of the children in the city, the girls 
spent much time discussing dyes and the different 
ways of decorating eggs. Calico scraps with pretty 
designs and flowers were dragged from garret and 
cellar, to be treasured and traded. New shades of 
home manufacture were freely advertised and sam- 
ples given. Small fancy baskets were a necessity 
of life ; a bow of ribbon on the handle the coveted 
superfluity. The possessor of one dozen eggs just 
escaped the imputation of poverty ; two dozen was 
the average number ; two dozen and a half was de- 
sirable ; three dozen was riches that taxed the en- 
durance of arms and digestive organs ; three dozen 
and a half was vulgar vanity that met cold looks 
and open scorn. The sun was so much talked 
about right before his face, and the rain was so 


224 


Dear Days 


much backbitten, that it was surprising the first did 
not stay in bed and sulk, and the other deluge the 
city on the gala day ; but never before had there 
been a fairer day for egg-rolling. 

It’s a day baked blue and yellow,” growled 
Daisy, as the seven went slowly down Vermont 
Avenue. She jerked the brim of her hat down 
over her eyes to shade them from the sun. You’re 
nice to come out, but you shan’t put my eyes out.” 

“ Did you ever see such blue sky and such yel- 
low sunshine ?” happily supplemented Anna. Oh, 
there’s Martin Luther ! Don’t you wish we could 
take him along?” 

“What do we want with boys ?” sniffed Daisy. 
“ They’d grab all our eggs and break ’em just so 
they could eat ’em.” There was a sudden shout 
of laughter and Daisy and Nettie looked bewildered. 
Cora hastily put herself and her eggs on a stone car- 
riage step and rocked to and fro as she mumbled, 

“ He’d have a hard time breakin’ ’em unless you 
threw ’em against him.” 

“ I meant Luther^ the statue over there, — 

not a boy I know,” said Anna in a matter-of-fact 
way. She had a way of explaining mistakes so 
that no one’s pride was hurt. 


Easter Monday 


225 


Who’s Martin Luther, anyway?” asked Daisy. 
** I just bet none of you knew, if you did laugh.” 

I know he has been standin’ up in front of the 
Lutheran Memorial Church all my life, but I don’t 
know what he was before he turned to stone,” con- 
fessed Cora. 

Didn’t he tack up signs on church doors, and 
live on worms ?” Bessie stopped to laugh at her 
tangled thoughts. Well, anyway, it was some- 
thing like that.” 

Anna did not care to tug at that tangle. ‘‘ Why, 
he is the man who started religion,” she said. 

“ Anna Roderick ! My Sunday-school teacher 
says the Saviour did that !” said Daisy, quickly, as 
she put on a shocked expression. 

Anna winced at the careless irreverence, but she 
did not see how she could make the girls realize 
its wrong so she only smiled and shook her head 
at Daisy ; then she gazed with delight at Thomas 
Circle which was gay with beds of tulips and hya- 
cinths. As the girls paused to revel in the color 
Daisy shook her fist at the statue of General Thomas 
and his horse. 

“ Mean old thing ! That’s for helping at Chicka- 
mauga ! I don’t care, Anna Roderick ! He don’t 

15 


226 


Dear Days 


have to get out of a nigger’s way. Here comes 
one of ’em now. Watch !” Naughty Daisy turned 
her head to examine the warrior as she walked, 
and purposely charged into two stylishly dressed 
mulatto women who stubbornly pushed straight on 
and loudly declared their equality with any white 
trash. Daisy giggled at this exhibition of inde- 
pendence, and the rest of the way she was aggres- 
sively observant of the colored population. 

Pennsylvania Avenue and the cross-streets were 
crowded with children, eggs and chaperons. Mr. 
Roderick turned Anna’s chair down Executive 
Avenue by the left of the White House, but Daisy 
walked on, calling out, 

“ I’ll meet you in a minute. The President’s a 
mean old thing to ask you to a party in his back- 
yard. I’m going in the front way, anyway.” 

The others watched and laughed as she marched ■ 
firmly through the gate by the front driveway, along 
the path a little distance from the building, down the 
steps to the fountain, up the opposite steps and on 
to the merry, busy children on the small hills be- 
tween the White House and the White Lot. The 
curb was lined with two-wheeled carts guarded by 
the sons of Africa and Italy. Bananas, figs, dates, 


Easter Monday 


227 


oranges, lemons, peanuts, popcorn, gorgeous 
jewelry and hunks of taffy aroused the covetous- 
ness of children and the vexation of improvident 
and impoverished guardians. Balloons, penny- 
wheels and paper flowers seemed to go about by 
themselves, but the owners promptly emerged from 
their midst when custom was still afar off. Mr. 
Roderick at once sighted the best place for his 
party and serenely, but determinedly, fought and 
begged his way to it. Anna protested, but only 
feebly, for she knew her father’s persistence in that 
way. At the top of the highest slope they settled 
themselves, and while the others unpacked their 
eggs Anna eagerly looked around. 

Above was the pale blue of the sky ; underneath 
the fresh green of the trampled grass ; to the north 
the White House and conservatories which hid from 
the curious the actions and occupations of the Presi- 
dent, his family, his servants and his clerks ; to the 
south, what seemed like a tall line of white marble, 
the monument that holds up the memory of Wash- 
ington above all others ; to the southwest the pic- 
turesque Potomac River ; to the west a large gray 
building, the State, War and Navy Department, 
where employees of the Government manage the 


228 


Dear Days 


business of war and its consequences, regulate the 
national policy and govern the ships upon the sea ; 
to the west the Treasury Building, which had once 
been white, and where the American money is per- 
fected and stored, the mutilated exchanged for good 
and the worn-out banknotes ground up to pulp ; 
everywhere the pushing, happy crowd of black and 
white children, and over all the warm sunlight. 
Anna’s eyes viewed carefully the form and color- 
ing of all this and her mind quickly supplemented 
the use and work of the buildings. At the edge 
of the slope was the empty band-stand where later 
would be stationed the Marine Band which is spe- 
cially detailed for the use of the President. Dur- 
ing the half-hour for luncheon the clerks of nearby 
government departments and private offices would 
hurry to the ground to observe the scene and get 
in the way of the children. Cameras were almost 
as plentiful as eggs. 

“ Funny what becomes of all the pictures,” said 
Mr. Roderick. “All of the people who come here 
can’t be from other cities. Yesterday I went to 
ever}^ photographic supply store in the city and 
found only two views of the ground and people. I 
had told a man that I would get him all he wanted.” 


Easter Monday 


229 


“ Let’s pick eggs before we roll them,” said Daisy. 
‘^Anna, I know I’ll clean you out.” 

Anna opened her mouth to exclaim, but slowly 
closed it. It was a shock to see her friends eagerly 
preparing for what she abhorred as a kind of gam- 
bling. She had just cautioned Clifford not to pick 
for keeps,” but she refrained from extending her 
mission work, because she knew that it would be 
useless. 

“ Come on, Anna ; you first,” said Daisy, with an 
air of importance. 

“I don’t do it ^for keeps,’” said Anna, as she 
held up her toughest egg. “ You see I — ” She 
could not finish her explanation, for Mr. Roderick, 
who had quickly challenged Nettie, sighed over his 
smashed egg and paid his debt from Anna’s basket. 
“Why, papa!” she cried. 

“ She got me that time,” he said, ruefully, and 
without an idea of the true reason of her exclama- 
tion. “We’ll have to try it again. Find me a 
hard one ; just knock them on your teeth and then 
you can tell.” 

It was not the first time that Anna had discovered 
her father to be short of her mother’s high mark. 
She saw he did not guess what was in her mind, so 


230 Dear Days 

she quietly obeyed ; but she would not herself pick 
eggs. 

“ I want some taffy,” announced Daisy. “ Here’s 
a nickel, Cora ; you’re thin, so you can get 
through the crowd easier.” 

“You’re not going to eat that on the carts!” 
exclaimed Anna, horrified. 

“ Of course not ; it’ll be in my mouth when I eat 
it,” snapped Daisy. “You get a whole lot of that 
for a nickel,” she condescended to explain. 

“Yes, because half of it’s dirt.” Anna’s disgust 
was amusing to the rest. 

“ I don’t care, if I don’t see it. They dust it off 
with a feather duster before they give it to you,” 
said Bessie, giggling. 

Sticky fingers and eggs that would lodge in 
hollows were the thorns in the happiness of the 
next hour. Simply rolling the eggs down an incline 
was as exciting and dangerous as coasting down 
Franklin Hill after a snowfall. Each girl took an 
egg from her basket, watched for an opening in the 
crowd, and at a signal from Anna gave the egg 
a gentle push to start it rolling. Eagerly and 
silently they watched the trip down ; some eggs 
would creep along until a thick bunch of grass or 



The Egg-rolling on the White House lawn 


•. r 




t 

\ 




I 




% 





4 


4 

* 





i 


4 

t 


4 



Easter Monday 


231 


a stone would turn them aside and send them on 
faster ; others would gain a rapid start and be 
abruptly stopped by a tiny hollow ; still others 
would have a trying mixture of smooth rolls and 
narrow escapes from stoppage. The egg that first 
reached the bottom brought fame to its owner and 
was laid aside to escape destruction till the last. 
When every egg was perfectly still or perfectly 
smashed, there was a wild scramble down the hill 
to recapture sound property. Then back to the 
top the girls would go and the game and fun 
would begin over again. It was a simple game 
and hardly to be appreciated unless played or 
watched. The uncertainty and variety of the egg 
journeying was the chief attraction. There were 
no vehicles or cars to meet as when coasting down 
Franklin Hill, but at any moment a careless passer- 
by might step on a slippery object, turn an ankle, 
frown at an innocent observer and hurriedly limp 
away. Each treasure must be reclaimed, and as 
the girls were compelled to walk quickly with their 
eyes on the ground, there were frequent collisions 
of bodies and tempers. Anna enjoyed the novelty 
of sitting on the ground with her back against a 
tree and watching the others take liberties with 


232 


Dear Days 


her wheel-chair. When the usual egg-rolling play 
seemed to pall, she invented new games which called 
for skill of hand, quickness of thought and speed 
of feet. In the last Nettie should not have tried 
to excel. Everywhere the grass had been trodden 
smooth, and as she ran once and shoved Mattie 
back, she rolled down the hill into a slippery, slimy 
mess of raw eggs ; there she struggled helplessly 
and tried to scramble to her feet. 

“ It’s scrambled eggs with a big bad egg in the 
middle !” shrieked Bessie, as she, too, sat helpless 
on the ground. The nearby small boys jeered and 
the older folks did not try to hide their amusement, 
so Nettie distributed scowls as she got up and 
shook her skirt. 

“Where will I get some water?” she groaned. 
“ I’d rather be soaked than be sticky.” 

“ We’ll look everywhere till we find a watch- 
man,” said Daisy. “ All of you grab up bags as 
you come ; she’ll need some washrags, and paper^s 
better than nothing.” 

Mr. Roderick was snoring in the shade, so Anna 
had no one to talk to and amused herself by knocking 
the eggs about as far as she could reach. As she had 
half expected every minute, one of them ran away. 


Easter Monday 


233 


“ Oh, dear !” she said, involuntarily. 

I’ll find it for you,” said a sweet little voice. 
Anna turned to see a girl of about five years who 
captured the egg and carefully put it in the basket ; 
then she took hold of Anna’s hand and looked 
pleadingly in her face. 

Now please find my mother for me,” she said, 
simply. 

Her simple confidence aroused all the tenderness 
there was in Anna. She longed to kiss the pretty 
face, although it was swollen and dirty from crying. 

“ Of course I will,” she said in a comforting 
tone that relaxed the strain on the child. “ That 
is — I can’t do it myself, but I’ll ask my friends to. 
You see I can’t walk. I ride about in that chair.” 

The child looked from the chair to Anna’s face. 

Does it make you cry?” she asked pityingly. 

Anna caught her breath, but she answered 
brightly. 

Oh, no ; I have nice times. I could come 
here, you see. Crying makes other people feel 
badly,” she added, to see what the child would say. 

That’s why I cry — sometimes,” she confessed, 
shamefacedly. 

Anna hid her laughter and then straightened her 


234 


Dear Days 


face as she rummaged in the big basket for the cake. 
“ Eat this while you’re waiting.” 

The child’s hands went quickly behind her. “ I 
mustn’t. Please hide it.” 

“Why not? — why?” asked Anna, surprised. 

“I’ve had three bananas, two apples, — two 
oranges, — some peanuts — and popcorn and eggs and 
my lunch, and mama says I can’t hold another thing. 
Why didn’t God make stomachs big enough ?” 

“ I don’t know,” Anna managed to say soberly 
just as the other girls came back, and then she ex- 
plained to them. “ Take her to the Lost House 
and stay with her a little while, can’t you ? Maybe 
her mother will be there soon.” 

“How can you take her if the house is lost?” 
asked Mattie, and the girls clapped at such unusual 
wit in her. They felt very important as they walked 
off trying to soothe the troubled little one ; they 
had the vague wish that they might tie a placard 
on her back so that all they met might know that 
they were aiding one of the unfortunates for whom 
the government makes special provision on Easter 
Monday. Anna was surprised to see them return 
in a very short time with a balloon floating on a level 
with each head, and an extra one in Nettie’s hand. 


Easter Monday 


235 


Her mother’s hugging her now,” said Bessie. 
“ It’s a Hug and Kiss House instead of a Bureau 
for Lost Children. It makes you sick and tired to 
look in there.” 

The man said that little girl was the sixty-first 
child. I guess if I was a mother I could hold on 
to my own children,” said Daisy, scornfully. 

“What will you do with balloons?” asked Anna, 
who was a little ashamed that her friends should 
be seen with such childish toys. 

“Just whatever you say to do with ’em. They’re 
as good as eggs,” said Cora. 

Anna shook her head, but finally yielded to 
pressure. “ Well, then — Nettie, pretend that yours 
is China, and you’re a Chinaman inside ; Cora’s is 
Italy and she’s an Italian ; Daisy’s is Africa and 
she’s an African ; Mattie’s is France and she’s a 
Frenchman ; Bessie’s is Germany and she’s a Ger- 
man ; mine is Mexico and I’m a Mexican. Sit 
down in a circle — that’s it. Now we’ll pass the 
balloons round and round, and we’ll each rub our 
fingers over them while we count ten. You see 
we want to find out which country will — ” 

“ Bust up first,” finished Cora. “ Come on girls; 
that’s fine !” 


236 


Dear Days 


For ten minutes it seemed that every country was 
to continue sound and stable. The balloons passed 
from hand to hand, were lightly squeezed, and still 
remained firm and round. Then Mattie carelessly 
pressed harder, her fingers went through the thin 
rubber, and she jumped as China wilted under her 
fingers. By that time the unusual proceeding had 
attracted the attention of more than a few of the 
curious ; embarrassed and resentful the girls pressed 
harder, and suddenly Italy, Mexico and France 
succumbed to force. At that moment the observ- 
ers and every one near and most of the crowd on 
the ground forgot their eggs and friends and hur- 
ried toward the Executive Mansion. 

“ Move along with the rest ; the President must 
be on show,” said Mr. Roderick. 

• As Daisy and Bessie jumped to their feet they 
dropped the strings attached to their balloons and 
Africa and Germany went rapidly toward the sky. 

Oh ! — well, anybody knows Africa would have 
lasted longer than Germany,” was Daisy’s calm an- 
nouncement, and for once Bessie did not dispute 
such an outrageous claim. “ Anna, don’t you 
want to go to see the President?” 

“ No ; I don’t care about him.” 


Easter Monday 


237 


“ He’s the loveliest man living, and he’s a Dem- 
ocrat,” said Daisy, indignantly. “ I guess he can 
live if you don’t look at him. I hope he will see 
me ; wouldn’t it be nice if he should ask me up on 
the porch ? I think he ought to because I stand 
up for him every time.” 

In front of the broad balcony at the back of the 
Executive Mansion the crowd was packed tightly. 
Some of the people had given up the pleasure of 
egg-rolling that they might keep a place where they 
would be sure to see the President closely ; for two 
and three hours they had stared at the White 
House windows and gossiped with strangers and 
waited. They looked longingly at the two winding 
gray stone stairways at each end of the balcony ; 
but two policemen kept them back from the cov- 
eted vantage ground by the mere shake of the 
head and a regretful smile. Underneath the steps 
they might go and so along the path by the base- 
ment to the public toilet-room for the necessary 
drink of water, but down on the ground they must 
stay. Daisy and Nettie dug into people’s sides and 
backs and at last made their way through the tired 
watchers and up to the iron fence by the steps. There 
they found that the rush had been caused by the 


238 


Dear Days 


officials of the house placing chairs on the balcony. 
In the centre was a tall-backed chair from the Blue 
Room ; the light blue brocade of the seat and back 
and the gold frame were lit up by the sunshine 
as it waited for the mistress of the house. 

“ You’re mighty stingy with your old steps !” re- 
marked Daisy to the policeman. 

He grinned. “You ought to be satisfied with 
what you’ve got. Ain’t many folks would spoil 
their yard just at grass-growing time for a pack of 
black and white strange kids. ’Spose you all think 
this is a mighty fine picnic. ’Tain’t nothing to the one 
there’ll be to-morrow ; you ought to be here then.” 

“ Nice looking place it will be,” sniffed Daisy. 
“Wouldn’t come if I was invited.” 

“Well, the robins ain’t likely to ask you to,” 
laughed the man. “ There’s about fifteen or twenty 
of them that live here in the summer, and this even- 
ing they’ll find out a thing or two. They’ll send 
out invitations, and to-morrow, before the gardeners 
can get the ground cleaned, there’ll be a hundred 
and fifty or more robins eating hard-boiled eggs. 
The sparrows won’t have a chance except at the 
pieces of bread on the edge of the ground. That’s 
the way it was last year.” 


Easter Monday 


239 


Oh, I’d love to see it !” exclaimed Daisy. 

Oh, I wish — ” said Bessie, and then she paused. 
“ I wish the President liked me,” she finished, and 
they laughed together at the absurdness and futility 
of the wish. 

Down below the slope the band-stand was gay 
with the uniforms and the instruments of the Ma- 
rine Band. The popular and patriotic airs and the 
hand-clapping had been heard for the last half hour. 
Suddenly the band began to play Hail to the 
Chief,” and out on the balcony came the President 
and his family. They seated themselves where 
they might view the shifting crowd and in turn 
submitted to minute inspection. Hats and hand- 
kerchiefs waved wildly in the air, and then sud- 
denly and without ostensible plan or signal every 
hand clapped vigorously. The most merciless 
pushing and shoving of the day came next. 
Colored and white, old and young and poor and 
proud crowded forward to see the Chief Executive 
bow and smile his thanks. It was the small boy’s 
chance to see the man who occupied the shoes for 
which he waited ; in the small girl’s mind there was 
deeply printed a copy of the manners requisite in 
^‘the first lady of the land.” After that the crowd 


240 


Dear Days 


was not so thick ; egg-rolling in itself was entirely 
satisfactory until it was interrupted by the appear- 
ance of the fortunate, favored family which at- 
tracted interest from every one ; after the egg-rol- 
lers had seen the President watch the egg-rolling, 
the sport which had seemed so engrossing before 
suddenly became flat and unprofitable. As the sun 
sank lower the tired and satisfied children turned 
away from the pleasure which had been anticipated 
all during the year. At five o’clock the gates were 
closed on grounds which looked like nothing but 
a dumping-place. 

That’s a nice looking back yard for a president 
to have. There ain’t a blade of grass left, but there 
are cartloads and loads more of egg-shells and 
paper bags to scrape off,” said Daisy. 


CHAPTER XXI. 


ford’s theatre. 



NCE more the last day of school came with 


rest for the weary and pain in the parting. 
The constant heat of May had taxed the energy of 
every one ; lessons had been mastered by dogged 
persistence, but no one cared to exert themselves 
to prepare anything extra for entertainment. The 
school room was beautifully decked with roses, 
and made comforting because of a great pitcher 
of ice-water ; for an hour or more the girls enjoyed 
free speech. Then Miss Ivah took out her watch 
and smiled. 

“ Now we will have recess,” she said. A little 
longer one than usual — about two thousand four 
hundred and forty-four hours.” 

There was a blank silence ; then Anna laughed 
and after a moment the rest hissed. 

‘‘ Oh, Miss Ivah ! You made us work our minds 
after school,” lamented Bessie. 

You’ve got to pay us for that !” asserted Daisy. 


( 241 ) 


242 


Dear Days 


** One rose apiece ; here Anna, you hold them. 
We will take you home, so you can carry them all.” 

Miss Ivah added good measure and then waved 
a last good-by as the girls carefully closed the gate 
behind them. As they reached the corner of P 
Street an ambulance hurried by with clanging bell ; 
the white of the stretcher and the black clothes of 
a man seemed jumbled together as the girls looked 
for an instant. Another bell tapped quickly, and 
the police patrol-wagon drove past with reckless 
speed. The policemen were standing on the back 
step ; every seat was occupied by men with bloody, 
bandaged heads and limp arms. 

“ There must have been a free fight down 
town !” cried Cora. “ Come on, girls, let’s see 
what it is.” 

Six eager hands grabbed Anna’s chair, and she 
found herself going quickly over the ground with 
six feet flying out behind. Bessie and Mattie puffed 
and panted as they tried to keep up. All were 
trembling with excitement, wildly curious to see 
something awful, and yet dreading what the next 
square might reveal. As they went further down 
town they were joined by other people, who ques- 
tioned each other as they ran. The girls began to 


Ford's Theatre 


243 


believe the world was topsy-turvy, as every pass- 
ing carriage held a bandaged head, and ambulances 
dashed through the crowd with sickening fre- 
quency ; crossing the streets was becoming diffi- 
cult. 

‘^What is the matter?” Cora asked of a racing 
wheelman. 

“ Building fell down on a lot of people !” he 
yelled back. 

The girls turned pale, but kept on to New York 
Avenue. From the first Anna had doubted the 
wisdom of her going, but she did not wish to keep 
back the others ; now she was sure that it was 
not right for any of them to be in the midst'of such 
an excited crowd. 

“ It’s the War Department ! and hundreds of 
clerks are killed !” cried a frantic woman as she 
pushed her way through the crowd. Oh, my 
husband is there !” 

Serves the Government right ; that building 
was condemned long ago !” growled a man who 
was not actively concerned about any one and so 
had time to grumble. Somebody will pay for 
that.” 

Anna’s hands shook and she dropped them from 


244 


Dear Days 


the arms of her chair and folded them tightly in 
her lap ; something seemed to cover the sun and 
then drop slowly down toward her. She tried to 
tell the girls that they must go home — that their 
mothers — 

Is that your sister ?” demanded a withered 
old woman as she paused and looked accusingly 
at the girls. “ Well, this ain’t no place for her, 
whoever she is. You ought to be ashamed of 
yourselves for bringing her here. If you was set 
to mind her I guess it wouldn’t of killed you to 
miss all this trouble and blood.” 

Nettie was ready with all the impertinence 
needed, when Anna managed to rouse herself and 
say indignantly, 

“ Why, I wanted to come, and they’re always 
just as good to me as can be !” Then she shiv- 
ered. But we — didn’t know — what it was,” she 
added, and her voice quivered, while again the 
street looked dark. 

Well, you’d better go right home and thank 
the Lord you ain’t got no one that’s been mur- 
dered down there.” 

Why, Anna, your father’s in the Gover’ment, 
ain’t he?” asked Cora, with the thoughtless desire 


Fords Theatre 


245 

to be connected with the excitement of a narrow 
escape. 

^‘What office?” sharply asked the woman, as 
she noticed Anna’s pallid face. 

Anna looked up helplessly. “ The War Depart- 
ment,” she said slowly, and dug her finger-nails 
into her palms till the pain was sickening. 

Ohy Lord!'^ The woman staggered back. 
Then her curiosity conquered caution. Have 
you got a mother?” she asked. 

Anna’s lip quivered as she nodded. The thought 
of her mother and of home almost shattered her 
self-control ; she was drawing the first long breath 
to be spent in a sob, when she glanced at the girls ; 
they stood around her stiff from fear, with not a 
bit of color in their faces. Anna stopped the breath 
when it was half-way up her throat, and made an 
effort to relieve their minds. 

Don’t worry about me ; maybe — ” She was 
interrupted by the loud sobbing of a woman just 
behind. 

^‘No, I’m not crying ’cause anything’s the matter, 
but because there ain't anything,” said the woman to 
the sympathizing neighbors. “ I come all the way 
from Mount Pleasant without any hat expecting to 


246 


Dear Days 


see my dead husband. You see, they rushed in 
and yelled the War Department at me, and I didn’t 
wait for any more. We ain’t been married but a 
month, and he got transferred from the Cover’ ment 
Printin’ Office so he could git more pay and git 
married, and the thought of that nearly set me 
crazy as I come down.” There was a murmur 
of sympathy from the crowd, and she smiled hap- 
pily on them all. But, you see, my husband’s in 
with the State, War and Navy , — that other build- 
ing’s just a branch of the War part.” 

cried Anna. She began to laugh and 
cry at once. Oh, girls — ” Now that there was 
no necessity for self-restraint she could not keep 
herself from trembling violently. ‘‘ Papa’s all 
right. He isn’t in any branch — ” 

Oh, land ! All that fuss for nothing,” said the 
old woman, with an ignorant person’s disappoint- 
ment at being defrauded of a scene. 

Daisy promptly shoved Anna’s wheel-chair over 
the stranger’s foot which she hoped was filled with 
corns, Bessie begged a mock pardon very prettily, 
and then the girls hurried on to a safe laughing 
place. 

“As long as your father’s all right we can laugh,” 


Fords Theatre 


247 


said Cora, apologetically, when she had calmed her- 
self. ‘^We just couldn’t help doing that. Oh, but 
didn’t she look mad !” 

Anna smiled mechanically as she wiped off her 
tears. She felt as if she had been put into a bag with 
rocks and then rolled down a hill ; and she dreaded 
to go home before she was more composed. 

If I’d only noticed that everybody is rushing 
down Tenth Street and not toward the White 
House !” she sighed. “ Papa’s building is next to 
that, and the other one is Ford’s Theatre, four or 
five squares from here. No, of course they don’t 
have government clerks there in the daytime and 
actors at night ; I meant it used to be Ford’s 
Theatre — where Lincoln was shot.” 

“Ain’t old Abe a grand fellow?” said Daisy, ad- 
miringly. “ George W. ain’t in it with him. I tell 
you what let’s do. Everybody thinks we’re at 
school ; so let’s go to Lafayette Park and have a 
good time. Anybody got any money?” 

Six cents was the amount extorted. Anna was 
glad of any diversion and cheerfully gave her last 
nickel. 

“We’ll have to get stick candy, because Anna 
won’t eat dirt and we can’t get much of any other 


248 


Dear Days 


kind for five cents,” mourned Bessie. “ So as long 
as we do what she wants, she must do as we want 
and tell us all about Lincoln. Tell it right, but 
make a fine story out of it ; we don’t want any 
history now.” 

As they passed the Treasury Building on their 
way to the park, a group of strangers were gazing 
at the stained, smoky-looking stone. Daisy guided 
the wheel-chair close to them and winked at the 
girls as she said to Anna, 

“They’re going to whitewash it next week. 
Aren’t you glad ? I’ve been so ashamed of the old 
place.” 

“ I should think they would have done it long 
ago,” said Mattie, gravely, but the visitors looked 
scandalized and indignant. 

“ Well, I didn’t know the Government was as 
stingy as — ” were the scornful words which came 
to the expectant girls. They grinned broadly and 
dazed Mattie with unmerciful pats of approval. 

“It’s a shame to poke Lafayette on the corner 
and have old Andrew Jackson in the middle,” said 
Bessie, as they entered the park at the side of the 
statue. 

Well, Andy was there first with his canons 


Ford's Theatre 


249 


around him, and do you think anybody’ d want to 
be blown up to get him away?” asked Daisy. 

“Well, I wish I knew what those figures mean,” 
sighed Anna, as she gazed at the one figure up 
high and then at those below. 

“ They’re just some poor children Lafayette 
brought over to our free land, and he was so wild 
to fight for us that he forgot to bring their trunk,” 
said Nettie. That was brilliancy from her, and all 
applauded as they laughed and looked at the 
naked, dimpled children ; it seemed to be a relief 
to be silly after encountering the horrifying acci- 
dent. They settled themselves comfortably on 
seats, and tried to forget what they had seen and 
what they had imagined. 

“ I’ll tell what you want if you won’t interrupt 
me once,” began Anna, and all promised. “ Once 
there was a man who wanted to do something to 
put some friends in a good humor, so he bought 
them tickets to the theatre and said he would go 
there with them ; but the people sent word that 
they wouldn’t be seen with him. Well, the man said 
he knew that a lot of people would go there to see 
him, anyway, and he wouldn’t disappoint them, so he 
went. I don’t know whether he was sorry he went 


250 Dear Days 

or whether he was glad, because he never had time 
to tell any one.” 

Nettie was impatient. What’s that got — ” 

Anna looked severe and Nettie subsided. Some 
powder and smoke came against the man’s shoul- 
der, I think, and they had to carry him out and 
across the street to a little brick house, and he 
died there.” She paused a moment and then 
added rapidly, “ The theatre was Ford’s, the man 
Abraham Lincoln, and the house was 516 Tenth 
Street, and, if you own a quarter, you can go in 
there and see three thousand leavings of Lincoln.” 

Before Anna had finished, every girl had put her 
fingers into her ears, but still not far enough in to 
keep out sound ; their disgust at such trifling was 
too strong for words. 

I couldn’t help it,” said Anna, openly de- 
pressed. I couldn’t put on airs and think about 
a story while all — that — is going on.” 

Oh, hush !” said Cora, hastily. Let’s talk 
about something else. Say, don’t you guess that 
all the people in the houses around here feel 
mighty big because they live right opposite the 
President ?” 

“ Of course they do ; as big as the Washington 


Ford's Theatre 


251 


Monument,” said Bessie. “ Who do you s’pose 
they are ?” 

I can tell you who did live in some of them,” 
said Anna, listlessly. “ Daniel Webster lived over 
there before Mr. Corcoran did; Commodore Decatur 
built the one ’way across, and Henry Clay lived 
there afterward ; ex-President Madison built one ; 
Robert Ingersoll lived two doors below — he’s the 
man who doesn’t believe in the Bible ; in another 
one. Secretary Seward lived when they stabbed him 
the night they shot Lincoln ; and — ” 

“Oh, bother!” said Bessie. 

“ Hush up talking about dead people !” cried 
Daisy. “ I don’t know ’em all, anyway ; I have 
never heard of some of ’em. Let’s go home. 
There ain’t any use in our trying to have fun now, 
we will just go on thinking about houses falling 
down on people.” 

They were very silent as they walked slowly 
home with sober faces and thoughts intent on the 
wounded people they had seen, and for weeks they 
could not get away from the tragedy which had 
stirred the city ; yet what they knew and under- 
stood was not one-third of the awful crash and 
consequences. 


CHAPTER XXIL 


LETTER d’s GARDEN-PARTY. 


HAT dress shall I wear?” asked Anna, 



trying to appear calm and unconcerned. 


This was to be her first garden-party but she did 
not want her excitement to remind her family of 
the fact, for if they saw that she cared so much 
they would be sorry that she had not been to 
others. 

“Your new lawn dress; you look well in that. 
I’m glad I decided to make it before I made 
Janet’s,” said Mrs. Roderick. 

This was disappointing to Anna ; she thought a 
minute. “ Yes, I’m glad, too,” she said hesitat- 
ingly ; “ but don’t you s’pose they will all dress in 
white ? I was wondering if I couldn’t — How would 
it do to wear that white dress of Janet’s ? That one 
you made over for me — the thick white goods ? 
It’s right cool this evening, and I won’t be moving 
about, you know.” 

“ Oh, you mean my first party dress,” said 


(252) 


Letter Us Garden-Party 253 

Janet. I wore that to the Christmas party, and 
the minister’s son managed to catch me under the 
mistletoe. It was his party, too. You wouldn’t 
think a minister’s son would — ” 

“ Now you know you wouldn’t think exactly 
that ; ministers’ sons are always the worst boys,” 
asserted Anna. “ But you ought to be thank- 
ful to him, for he made you remember about 
mistletoe after that ; I’m so glad you are not silly 
enough to like being caught under the mistletoe. 
Mama, do you think it would be all right to wear 
that dress ?” 

“ Certainly, if you would rather do so ; I had for- 
gotten about it. You have not worn it yet, have 
you ?” Janet had outgrown the dress, and Anna 
had begged that it be made over for her though she 
did not know that she should ever have a good 
chance to wear it. 

After dinner, Anna waited in the front yard till 
Janet was ready to take her to Daisy’s garden 
where the guests were to gather at seven o’clock. 
Anna carefully read the newspaper which she then 
considered tiresome, watched the slow-moving 
hands of her watch, shivered in anticipation of 
another meeting with Mrs. Joy and thought again 


254 


Dear Days 


and again that it was perfectly lovely in Daisy to 
ask her to the garden-party. She knew that Janet 
did not like to be hurried and yet, at six-thirty, she 
ventured to call out the time. 

Oh, ril be ready in half an hour,” cheerfully 
responded Janet, as she came to the window with a 
curling-iron held close to her head. 

“ But it begins at seven !” cried Anna, dis- 
mayed. 

“ Gracious ! it isn’t an entertainment. We can 
get there in fifteen minutes. That will be a polite 
time. They won’t close the doors at a certain 
hour,” remonstrated Janet a little surprised and 
vexed to find that, for once, Anna did not readily 
agree with her opinion. 

“ Oh, you hurry. I don’t care about being fash- 
ionable,” said Anna, but she philosophically re- 
signed herself to the loss of some precious minutes. 
In five minutes, however, when Janet came down 
flushed and a little disapproving, Anna thought her 
the sweetest, prettiest and nicest motive power that 
could be hired for love or money. She had on 
the gown which Anna liked best. She had thought 
of asking her to put it on but she did not want to 
make her pretty sister self-conscious in the pres- 


Letter Us Garden-Party 255 

ence of the Joy family. As they went rather hur- 
riedly along the street, Anna delighted in watching 
every one who passed and looked with various 
degrees of interest at her sister. 

“We’re a square away from Daisy’s and fifteen 
minutes away from the time,” remarked Janet, as 
she paused at the street corner. “ Do you want to 
go in now?” There was mingled laughter and 
vexation in her tone. 

Anna was appalled at the result of her impa- 
tience. She thought feverishly that she would 
rather go home than present herself at the party 
before the hour set ; it would look as if she were so 
anxious, and Daisy might not be dressed, and — 
why, they might send those boys to entertain her ! 
“Can’t we walk around the square first?” she 
asked meekly. “ Go real slow, and then I guess — 
I suppose your watch is going ?” 

Janet laughed. “You can’t blame it on my 
watch ; it is exactly with yours. Isn’t it better to 
be fashionable than unwelconie ?” 

“ I wish I was an hour late,” groaned Anna. 
“Janet ! — do you call this going slow?” 

Janet laughed again. “I forgot. You see, I 
keep thinking you want me to hurry.” She could 


256 


Dear Days 


not refrain from grumbling in a teasing way as she 
walked along with enforced slowness. “ Well, 
we’ve been around the square, and this is Daisy’s 
house. Don’t look at your watch, and then you 
won’t know the time.” 

Don’t open the gate !” hurriedly entreated 
Anna. ** Go down that street over there, quick ! 
You can get across before the car comes. Yes, 
that is what I said. Down that street, quick !” 
Anna half wondered why Janet so promptly obeyed ; 
it was such an unreasonable request from a notably 
reasonable person, but she knew she had to be mys- 
terious or Janet would argue against what she de- 
termined to do. Across the car track and down the 
street they went ; when they could no longer see a 
gray house standing within a pretty yard, Anna 
said shamefacedly, “ I don’t believe it took us 
two minutes to go around that square !” 

Janet did not understand. What is the matter 
with you ? I don’t see any one. I thought I’d 
better do what you said or I didn’t know what 
would happen to us.” 

“ Oh, there wasn’t anybody calling. You 
see — ” 

I don’t.” 


Letter D's Garden-Party 257 

T was afraid one of the Joys would see us,” ex- 
plained Anna, hysterically. She made herself stop 
laughing and went on. “ While I was asking you 
to go around two or three times more and you were 
telling me it would be all right to go in then, they 
might have looked out. I can't go in before seven.” 

There was silence while Anna anxiously waited 
to see if Janet possessed enough humor to make 
her worthy of the name of Roderick. 

“ Well, if you aren’t the craziest thing !” burst 
from the pretty, red lips of Janet, as she stood per- 
fectly still and supported herself on the back of the 
wheel-chair. Anna was relieved. That was Janet’s 
everyday comment on some action or word of 
Anna’s, so she was not angry enough to invent a 
new and more crushing phrase. 

Crazy as can be,” assented Anna. But I feel 
easy away from that house. I think you’d do fine 
in a fire ; the way you minded me was great !” 

If Janet did not laugh as often as the other Rod- 
ericks, any one would be willing to wait for the 
musical sound which came at last. Anna heard it 
with satisfaction and responded with what Janet 
called ''a little grunt.” It was her only audible 
expression of her amusement. 

17 


258 


Dear Days 


ril leave you and then go to see Bess Bolter,” 
said Janet, as she at last opened the shunned gate. 
“What time shall I come for you ?” 

“I don’t know. Oh, Janet! they might ask 
you to stay ; and if they do, why you — just stay, 
do you hear ?” 

“ Oh, that wouldn’t be — ” 

“ Yes it would, if they ask. Well, you can say 
no at first, and if they ask again — that’ll be all 
right. I want you to see them all.” 

“ Go right around that side. You’ll see Daisy,” 
called a man from the third floor of the house. 
Again the Roderick humor asserted itself at this 
prompt and applicable supplement to their words. 

“ He was too far up to hear us, but wasn’t it 
funny?” mumbled Anna. “I suppose that’s Mr. 
Joy. Oh, mercy I there’s a boy on the ant porch ! 
Do you think he could have heard ? It’s Lowry ; 
you knew him at Miss Clara’s, so I won’t have to 
introduce you. I will ? Oh, I shall die while I’m 
doing it !” Properly but awkwardly she pro- 
nounced the words of introduction ; and though 
she lived, she felt dazed while the young gentle- 
man took Janet’s place at the back of her chair and 
tried to be at ease with the young lady who was 


259 


Letter D's Garden-Party 

older, but not a bit taller than himself. Daisy met 
them in front of Daniel Webster’s home. Her 
dress was an extremely simple pink lawn almost 
devoid of trimming ; Anna glanced uneasily at her 
own fancy dress and wished she had worn the one 
her mother had suggested. 

“ Somebody told me they saw you go by before, 
and I rushed out, but couldn’t see a thing of you,” 
was Daisy’s greeting. That was worse than if it 
were necessary to make another introduction. 

'‘Yes, — why, I didn’t see you. We did go by 
and — and went down the street — we had to see 
some — ” stammered Anna, desperately, and then 
she saw Janet’s disapproval of the untruth she had 
not meant to tell. “ I was so early — I didn’t know 
— so we went on a little way. I didn’t see you.” 

“ I was in the side yard fixing up the lanterns. 
Come right around. Everybody but Bessie was 
here when you went by.” 

Anna considered all this a hard beginning of 
pleasure ; she had expected to have an unusually 
delightful time and already, through her own fault, 
there had appeared two large thorns which pricked. 
She was grateful to Mrs. Joy for immediately prov- 
ing herself to be one of the nicest of mothers, who 


26 o 


Dear Days 


had been before entirely misunderstood by a pre- 
sumptuous young person. After some polite skir- 
mishing, Janet stayed in obedience to Anna’s silent 
though imperative command. There were not many 
guests, and no boys except those of the family. 
Anna noticed particularly a blonde, pleasant-faced 
young girl who talked with Emma Joy about their 
French lessons and daily readings, and seemed to 
be on familiar terms with all the family ; Anna 
thought it would be interesting if the oldest son 
of the house should marry her some day. 

The garden, with its fragrant flowers, and the 
party of young people in dainty summer dress 
made a pretty picture. Anna was glad there were 
Chinese lanterns, because she enjoyed seeing 
Robert and Lowry light them ; they did not guess 
that the quiet invalid had seized the opportunity to 
observe “The Young Boy” and was condemning 
or admiring every action and word. It was the 
fad that summer for a young girl to carry a paper 
fan on which her friends wrote their names, the 
date of writing and any brief nonsense they chose 
to add. While Anna enjoyed a little talk with 
Mrs. Joy, she demurely watched Robert appro- 
priate Janet’s fan with the intention of giving his 


Letter Us Garden-Party 261 

energy to fanning in payment. The names caught 
his eye, and he calmly allowed Janet to stay 
warm while he satisfied his curiosity. When he 
found a mutual acquaintance, he was radiant ; and 
Anna was proud to see him so, but puzzled herself 
to find a satisfactory reason for his feeling so glad. 

“ Will you write your name, too, — please ?” asked 
Janet, smiling up at the face above her. “ That is 
the second fan I have filled this summer. You can 
get your name in somewhere, — can’t you ?” When 
the name had been slowly written, she turned to 
Lowry. May I have yours, too ?” 

Lowry wrote nervously and without any flour- 
ishes, but he was composed enough to retain the 
fan and usurp the privilege of working steadily. 
Anna saw and smiled and sighed ; if only those 
names were on her fan ! She knew she would 
value them much more than Janet, because Janet 
had so many names ; and then, too, Janet did not 
care particularly for Miss Alcott’s Laurie, and con- 
sidered Robert an ugly name. It would be so nice 
for people to see the names on her fan ; of course, 
they knew that she did not meet many boys and 
they would wonder how she secured those two 
names ; she imagined herself enjoying their mysti- 


262 


Dear Days 


fication for awhile and then enlightening them in a 
casual way. She thought this over and over and 
felt her heart beating quicker, and then was in- 
tensely surprised to hear herself say, at last, 

“ Will you both write on my fan, please ?” 

As they politely complied, she held her breath 
and wondered at her own audacity. She hoped 
their thoughts were not very scornful, but it did 
not matter so much if they were ; it was the sig- 
natures, entirely separated from any personalities, 
that she wanted. Before she left that night she 
proudly possessed the names of all the members 
of the Joy family and also that of the blonde 
young girl. It was only a little after nine o’clock 
when the guests crossed the lawn by the street 
and paused at the gate for a final chat. As Anna 
waited and listened she reviewed in her mind each 
scene and incident of the evening, and then looked 
forward to the next day and began, at once, to make 
herself content with what she knew would be un- 
eventful and dull. 

“ I must not let them go home alone,” came the 
words from the edge of the group, and then Robert 
stepped beside Janet. “ Let me do that. I think 
I can manage it as well as you.” His firm grip 


Letter Us Garden-Party 263 

on Anna’s chair showed that he was putting intel- 
ligence as well as strength into the task. 

I guess if mama will let us go home alone, he 
needn’t be afraid. There’s a moon, and it’s early, 
and everybody’s out front,” thought Anna, and a 
prompt refusal was on her lips, when Janet grace- 
fully accepted. '‘Well, of course it’ll be fun to 
hear what he has to say to Janet, for of course he 
will talk to her, though really I’m the one he 
knows the best. Janet ought to have — she doesn’t 
always do as I think — it was nice in him to say 
‘them’ and not call me an ‘it’ ‘I’ll push it,' 
everybody says.” 

Robert found that he hardly knew what to say 
to the invalid’s pretty sister ; he walked half a 
square before he thought of anything. “ Some 
fellows and myself went to a Methodist revival 
the other night,” he began, after awhile. “ We 
went just for fun, you know, to hear the shouting 
and see the people fall over the floor.” He paused 
a minute to let the chair lightly down a curbstone. 
Anna was indignant and expected every minute to 
hear Janet stop him. “ But gracious, everything 
was as quiet as could be. I believe one old fellow 
did say ‘Amen !’ two or three times. We went way 


264 


Dear Days 


up to the front so we could see everything well, but 
we got tired and all of us stalked out. Some of 
the people frowned at us, but we didn’t care.” 

What church did you go to ?” inquired Janet, 
in a queer voice. Didn’t you know that in 
this day most Methodists have forgotten how to 
shout ?” 

I don’t know the name, but it was that little 
church at the corner of Ninth and P Streets. We 
went to the wrong place for fun that time.” Robert 
thought he was entertaining his company, and his 
thought w'as so evident that Janet refrained from 
disturbing him ; but Anna was unmerciful. 

‘‘Why, that is the church we go to,” she said 
distinctly. “We all belong there. I guess my 
sister was there that night you all walked out, be- 
cause she and mama and papa have been every 
night lately.” There was much more she wanted 
to say but her courage failed. She was indignant 
with Janet for being so disloyal to her church just 
to save a boy from the result of his own wrong. 

“ Are you Methodists ? I’m sure I didn’t — I 
believe I did — but I — ” Robert floundered help- 
lessly and searched his mind for some excuse, but 
none presented itself, and he was very glad to find 


Letter Us Garden-Party 265 

that he might pause at the Roderick gate and greet 
Mrs. Roderick. 

Here is a package for you, Anna. It came 
five minutes after you left.” There was unusual 
gladness in Mrs. Roderick’s voice which Anna no- 
ticed at once, and it made her curious. 

“Why, who brought it? What is it?” Her 
hands trembled because they all watched her as 
she opened the parcel. “ A pearl-handled gold pen ! 
Why, I wonder who sent it to me ? What does 
the card say ? I can’t see.” 

“ A fifteen -year-old editor brought it. He was 
a nice little fellow, and it’s too bad you weren’t 
here to receive the speech he had ready,” said Mr. 
Roderick. “ But perhaps he’ll put it in his paper 
and make up what you said in answer.” 

“ It must be the prize,” said Anna, slowly and 
incredulously. “ Then my story was the best ! 
Why, it was a horrible thing ; I don’t see how I 
ever sent it.” 

“Never mind. You can write a lot of new 
stories with this pen and maybe they’ll bring in 
enough money to get pens for the whole family,” 
said Mr. Roderick. “Got any ideas ready?” 

“Let me congratulate you,” said Robert. 


266 


Dear Days 


Daisy said you were trying for something and 
she will be glad to know you have won. That’s 
a beauty of a pen.” 

Anna at once recognized a difference in his tone 
as he spoke to her. The condescending kindness 
was replaced by real awe and admiration. Con- 
gratulations from a young gentleman were rather 
flustering, but she was not a bit sorry that he was 
there. She could look forward and see that the 
time would surely come when her school-friends 
would drift away from her. The pen which she 
had won would be a constant reminder that with it 
she might perhaps make a compensation for her- 
self for the loss of their companionship. 


CHAPTER XXIIL 


DRIFTING APART. 

/^NCE more, the Rodericks’ homesick longings 
for The Grove were satisfied ; they had 
again enjoyed the long drive from Washington and 
it took them but a day to settle into the old dear 
ways and occupations. The red clay, the oak 
trees, the flowers and friends were as delightful as 
ever, and the bird-music was still their rising bell. 
“ Oak Cottage ” was always open to Cliflbrd’s 
many, shouting playmates, and Anna’s mischievous, 
charming chums, and Janet’s gay young lady and 
gentlemen friends. 

Janet was sixteen, and sweet, and the queen of 
all her clique, although the youngest. Anna 
proudly noted every triumph of her sister’s reign 
and dreamed great things of her conquests in the 
days to come. After a few weeks of activity in her 
own pursuits and close observation of her sister’s. 
The Grove lost half its charm, for Janet went with 

friends to Atlantic City, to spend the days of 

(267) 


268 


Dear Days 


August by the sea. Anna looked eagerly every 
day for the letters and bravely tried to hide her 
longing for the return of her sister. In the midst 
of Janet’s gay time, the Roderick home was sud- 
denly disturbed ; typhoid fever seized Anna and 
seemed to have started her on that last, long jour- 
ney which ends beyond “the bourne of Time.” 
“Oak Cottage” was immediately deserted and the 
city home kept open for the doctor’s visits at all 
hours of the day. Through all the pain and lan- 
guor, Anna wanted but one thing — her sister ; she 
kept her letters on the bed and secretly counted the 
days that must pass before the end of the time set 
for Janet’s absence, but thought she was very suc- 
cessfully hiding her wish. 

“Well, Anna, I have sent for Janet to come 
home,” casually remarked Mrs. Roderick one day. 
She smiled brightly as she raised Anna and turned 
up the cool side of her pillow. “ She has had a 
long, gay time away, and we want her with us a 
little while before school, don’t we ?” 

Anna was too weak to be anything but quietly 
glad ; but, all through the day as she tossed about 
and endured the fever and pain, she thought of 
nothing but the fact that at last she should see her 


Drifting Apart 269 

beautiful sister and hear her tell of all the good 
times. 

When will she get here?” she later thought to 

ask. 

“The day after to-morrow,” answered Mrs. 
Roderick, still brightly ; but when she had left the 
room her face was as sad as the faces of the friends 
who came to the house to inquire and of those who 
returned the sorrowful answer : “ No better to-day.” 

Anna turned over into a comfortable place at 
last and contentedly went to sleep ; when she 
awoke, she thought it was lovely to be ill and 
have people make things happen just as you want 
them, and then once more she soothed herself to 
sleep by saying over and over, “Janet is coming 
home, home, home ; Janet will be here soon.” 
Not once did she suspect that there was any reason 
why Janet must be called home to see her. 

Mr. Roderick’s face was bright as he left Anna’s 
room to get ready to meet Janet at the station ; but, 
as he l6ft the house and rode through the city, the 
lines of care came back to his face. When he re- 
turned without Janet, he crept softly up to the 
door of the sick room and patiently waited there 
till Mrs. Roderick happened to come out. 


270 


Dear Days 


can’t tell her that Janet didn’t come,” he 
whispered. “I’m going to meet the next train ; I 
suppose Janet couldn’t get ready as soon as we 
thought, — or she didn’t get the letter in time to — ” 

“You need not come in,” said Mrs. Rod- 
erick, quietly. “ I will tell her. The next train 
comes — ” 

“ In about an hour,” said Mr. Roderick, in a re- 
lieved tone, and then he went down stairs to walk 
up and down the hall till train time. 

All during her sickness, Anna had not exerted 
herself to notice who passed in and out of the room ; 
but now, for the first time, she pulled herself over 
to face the door as it opened. 

“ Wouldn’t she come ?” she cried. There was dis- 
belief, amazement, and then unwilling condemna- 
tion in her face and tone. 

“ Something has delayed her,” said Mrs. Rod- 
erick, sympathetically. “ The next train — ” 

“ If she doesn’t come then ?’’ Anna now wished 
to nerve herself for the worst possibility. 

“ Then she will surely be here the first thing in 
the morning,” said Mrs. Roderick, outwardly con- 
fident, although she was much worried and a little 
doubtful herself. 


Drifting Apart 


■271 


Anna hoped her mother thought that she was 
asleep as she lay perfectly still and watched the 
clock on the mantel. She found herself listening 
for the cars to stop at the corner, and then she 
remembered that the line on that street did not pass 
the depot. When the front door again closed softly 
and Janet did not come running up the steps, she 
shut her eyes tightly and did not move for a 
long while. When the preparations for night were 
made, neither Anna nor Mrs. Roderick said any- 
thing about the second disappointment. 

In the morning, Anna again watched the clock, 
but she had only a general idea when Janet might 
be expected and she did not care to ask. Mrs. 
Roderick was frequently going in and out of the 
room, so Anna did not look up at the opening and 
closing of the door. 

“Aren’t you going to look at me, now Fm 
here ?” merrily asked a familiar voice at last. “ No, 
don’t turn over. I’ll come around.” 

Janet crossed the room, dropped on her knees 
and dug her elbows into the bed. 

“ Well, here I am, and I’ve had such a fine time ! 
What do you mean by getting sick ?” Her voice 
trembled as she said the gay words, and when she 


272 


Dear Days 


saw her mother’s warning look she rested her chin 
in her hands to hide the quivering of her lips. I 
went to the next town to spend Sunday, and didn’t 
get mother’s letter till I came back. But here I am, 
and I have a lot of things for you, and a lot to tell. 
You’ll just get tired of listening !” 

When does school begin ?” asked Anna, as she 
smiled and gazed at the longed-for face. 

Janet made a grimace. 

We don’t want to talk about that.” 

I was just wondering how many days we could 
have together before then,” said Anna. 

Janet stood up quickly and turned toward the 
mantel. She picked up a china donkey and care- 
fully felt the familiar shape which she could not see 
through her tears, but her voice was even as she 
answered, 

‘‘Well, I want this very part of to-day to get 
some of the dust off! I feel as if I shall never be 
clean. — I am so glad to see this donkey, I could 
just hug it ! So you people know what you must 
expect !” 

From that day onward, Anna was content to lie 
in bed and watch Janet as she stole about the room 
from time to time, or sat with her book or work in 



Anna’s Sick-room 




Drifting Apart 


273 


the one light corner of the room ; when Janet could 
not be in the room it was satisfactory to know that 
she was in the house, and would leave anything to 
come if called. Now that every member of the 
family was at home, Anna’s mind was free from 
care, and she used the little strength she had to 
make herself endure her illness patiently and cheer- 
fully, so that it would be easier for her mother. 

Gradually the shadow lifted from the Roderick 
home, and each one first hoped in secret and then 
dared to express his belief to the others until, at 
last, there came a time when it was possible for 
every face to be bright in every room of the house. 
Then, while Anna slowly grew stronger, she began 
to think and to review everything and half-guessed, 
half-saw, things more clearly. 

“Wasn’t I stupid?” she said one day to Janet. 
“ I might have known that mama wouldn’t spoil 
your trip just for nothing.” 

Janet looked up uncertainly. 

“Oh, I know now!'' said Anna, coolly. “But 
I never thought of it while I was sick.” 

“Just see how necessary I am to you ! There 
I was, having a good time, and then I had to miss 

a lot just because you wanted me,” said Janet, 
18 


274 


Dear Days 

teasingly, because she felt as if she could not speak 
of the past fear. 

When Miss Ivah’s school opened for the third 
time, Anna was just able to sit up all day, and her 
family were apprehensive of the effect of her dis- 
appointment. 

“You cannot go to school this winter. Do you 
mind very much, dear?” anxiously asked Mrs. 
Roderick. 

Anna stretched herself and smiled contentedly. 
“ I don’t mind a bit. I’m too tired to learn any 
more just now ; and then. I’m older, you see. 
Just think ! I am fourteen.” 

They exchanged glances, but not a word was 
said, then or afterward, about Anna’s full recog- 
nition of what it meant to be an invalid. During 
the summer she had gradually awakened to the re- 
ality which family love and care had hidden, and 
now she was ready to stay in the home nest and be 
herself with as much gaiety, wisdom and helpful- 
ness as possible. The absence of lessons was a 
relief, but she could not have told how much she 
missed her schoolmates. Miss Ivah called and in- 
vited Anna to visit the school when she was 
stronger. That was a possible pleasure which 


Driftmg Apart 


275 


Anna thought about and dreamed over, yet all the 
time she knew she would not go, because now she 
shrank from making any effort to go out among 
people. Daisy and Bessie came to see her occa- 
sionally, and she was grateful for that much of 
their company ; but Nettie, Cora and Mattie did 
not happen to remember their former schoolmate 
at a convenient time when they were not occupied 
with other things. The happy school days were 
ended for Anna, and the companionship of the girls 
was henceforth to be only a pleasant memory. 

But the compensation came in the shape of a new 
caller who had once been an old friend. Anna had 
vivid memories of the summer playmates who had 
shared her blocks, dolls and balls at The Grove, 
but the absence of anything that might serve as a 
connecting link between the past Nona Edd and 
the present young girl who came one day to see 
her caused an awkwardness which Anna tried hard 
to banish. When Nona had called several times 
and had once stayed all the afternoon, Anna 
thought an invitation to luncheon might be accept- 
able. That seemed to be entirely satisfactory, so 
she dropped her reserve and thoroughly enjoyed 
the company of Nona and of a young friend she 


2/6 


Dear Days 


often brought with her. Irma Wayn had a self- 
poise and a power of speech that made Anna both 
envious and grateful. After much doubt and more 
than necessary caution, Irma was always included 
in any special invitation sent to Nona. 

Aren’t they nice girls?” Anna repeatedly de- 
manded of her family. “ I’m sure I don’t see why 
they come to see me so often ; they don’t have to — 
I mean, no one makes them do it. I’m awfully glad 
they do, though, and I hope they will keep on com- 
ing ; I do love to hear them talk about what they 
do at school.” 

“ What do you think ?” cried Daisy, one day as 
she entered Anna’s room and changed the quiet- 
ness into exceeding liveliness. You haven’t missed 
much of Miss Ivah’s school. Bessie and I aren’t 
going any more.” 

“Oh, why?” asked Anna, trying to keep con- 
demnation out of her voice. 

Daisy screwed up her mouth ; then she laughed. 

“ She won’t let us.” 

“ Oh, Daisy, you haven’t — ” began Anna hotly, 
and then she flushed, remembering that she had no 
right to reprove. 

“ I wanted to make you do that,” said Daisy, 


Drifting Apart 277 

clapping her hands. “ I knew you would think 
we had been expelled ! We can’t go to a school 
when it’s closed, can we ?” 

“Closed? Is Miss Ivah ill?” Anna looked 
troubled. 

“ You are such fun !” declared Daisy. “ You do 
just exactly what I want you to. No, Miss Ivah 
isn’t a bit sick.” 

“I shan’t say another word till you tell me 
everything,” said Anna, severely. 

“ Oh, it’s nothing. After Christmas, Miss Ivah’s 
going out somewhere to teach little Indian children, 
and that breaks up our good times. Cora will stop 
school — just think ! No more studying all the rest 
of her life ! Nettie and Mattie are going to public 
school, and Bessie and I will make trouble in 
another private place. Anna, don’t you think In- 
dian children will be worse than we were ?” 

“Oh, no!” said Anna, calmly. “You are the 
very worst children I ever knew ; that’s why I like 
you so much.” 

Daisy laughed. “ Well, our mothers won’t let 
us stop school, so it ain’t our fault if we bother more 
teachers.” 

It was a great comfort to Anna to know that 


278 


Dear Days 


something beside her own weakness made it im- 
possible for her to go on studying at Miss Ivah’s 
school ; now she would not have occasional dreams 
of again going some time in the future and so re- 
gaining the friendship of her schoolmates ; she 
could not see any possibility or hope that she would 
ever again have any pleasure or occupation outside 
of her home, so she put by for awhile her ambition 
and her longing for companionship. 

Soon after Christmas, Nettie walked in and took 
Anna up just where she had left her, and seemed 
to have no idea that she was doing anything un- 
usual or that Anna might resent it. She was 
taller and thinner, had acquired some visiting 
manners, and unblushingly confessed to playing 
truant from the public school. 

You see, I had to go into a grade lower than 
the one all the girls of my age are in, and I’m big 
for my age, and some of the scholars said horrid 
things,” she explained. “ I don’t like school, any- 
way. It’s lots nicer to walk through the parks and 
the stores ; that’s what another girl and I often do.” 

Anna only laughed and shook her head, for there 
was no use in condemning. Nettie did not see the 
value and use of a good education nor the danger 


Drifting Apart 


279 


there might be in constantly walking the streets, and 
Anna did not know how to enlighten her. “ I wish 
she had my mother,” mused Anna, thoughtfully 
regarding Nettie as she listened to her continuous 
chatter and admired her frank laugh and gay 
friendliness. “She would make such a good 
mother herself if she had more extensive ideas and 
ideals in her head. She has always had such a nice, 
cheerful way with me, which shows that she could 
be splendid if she had a good chance.” 

Nettie interrupted Anna’s musing by picking up 
a comb which had fallen to the floor and replacing 
it in Anna’s hair. Then she skillfully pushed Anna 
to the window that she might see some one pass- 
ing, and quietly rearranged her dress which had 
caught in the wheel. She had the easy yet careful 
manner of a mother. 

“ Most girls would be afraid to do that, or would 
not think about it or would not want to do it,” 
thought Anna. 

“ I’m coming to spend some Saturday with you,” 
said Nettie, as she at last got up to go. “ Daisy 
and Bessie have often been up to see me, and I 
haven’t been to see them for an age ; but I’m going 
to be good, after this. Good-by ! See you soon.” 


28 o 


Dear Days 


For some months afterward, Anna neither saw 
nor heard anything of any of the girls, but one 
spring evening Cora walked in, calrnly reclaimed 
the old intimacy, and introduced her friend, Aggie 
Bell. Anna enjoyed Cora’s unconsciousness of 
anything strange in the situation and instantly 
recognized Miss Aggie Bell as a familiar character 
who had often tried the very soul of every member 
of the Roderick family. She lived in the house 
three doors below Anna and practised on the piano 
all day with her foot on the loud pedal. Anna 
could think of nothing to say to Cora, so she 
turned to her neighbor. 

“ I have often heard you practising. Do you 
play without your notes ?” 

“ Yes,” was the immediate reply. 

“ Oh, then won’t you play something for me ? I 
love music and I don’t hear it often.” 

Miss Aggie Bell was accommodating, and soon 
proved herself to be accomplished in the making 
of striking music and in striking the chords loudly. 
She continued to play as long as she was asked, 
and Anna was thankful that she knew so many 
pieces, because then it was not necessary for her 
to think of something about which to make talk. 


DHfting Apart 


281 


Half an hour later, when the visitors had gone and 
Anna sat in the parlor trying to discover Cora’s 
motive in coming, the family strolled in to make 
inquiries. 

“ It was Aggie Bell playing,” explained Anna, 
laughing at the disapproval evident in all the faces. 

Cora Smith brought her. Yes, it did sound like 
banging, but she kept fine time and didn’t stumble 
a bit.” 

After that, it was clear to Anna that most of the 
girls had slipped out of her life. Bessie still called, 
though very seldom, and Daisy sometimes sent 
word that she intended to come, but of the rest she 
knew nothing. The days and weeks went on, and 
because it was right, and for her mother’s sake, 
Anna kept herself bright and busy with little 
things ; but there were many times when she held 
her breath to keep back the sobs that came without 
apparent cause. She had read so often of people 
who worked successfully for themselves and for 
others, and oh ! the things she longed to do for 
the joy and help of her family and other people ! 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


ONCE MORE. 

T DO want to !” exclaimed Anna about six 
A months later, as she put down her pen and 
pushed the sheet of paperback on her desk. The 
question is — do I want to do it enough f ” 

There was no one in the room at the time, and 
she knew that she must answer the question her- 
self. She drummed with her fingers on the desk 
and listened to the ticking of the clock as she 
thought about all sides of the matter. 

There is no reason why I should have a birth- 
day party,” she admitted reluctantly, “ still, I 

don’t see why I shouldn’t if I want to ; mama 

would let me and the girls would like it. — There 
is no use in my making a list of books and 
things for them to get for me when all I really 

want is a party. Yes, I want to have it and I 

will.” 

“ List ready ?” asked Janet, as she came in the 

room with her hat and gloves on. “ Mama is wait- 
( 282) 


Once More 283 

ing downstairs ; we must hurry or we shall never 
get down town.” 

Anna hesitated ; she very much disliked to say 
that she wanted a party, because she knew that her 
family would be so surprised. 

Oh, you needn’t do any shopping for me,” she 
said at last, in a very matter-of-fact tone. I’ve 
decided I want to have a party instead of presents.” 

Janet promptly sat down on the nearest chair. 

Really?” she asked slowly, and looking as if she 
expected almost anything to follow that declaration. 

“ Yes, I’d like to see all the girls again, and 
I’m sure they’d like to come to a party. I just 
thought about it this morning ; you ask mama if 
it’s all right, and then I can write the invitations 
while you are down town.” 

Janet saw that Anna was determined, so she did 
not try to argue against the plan ; she knew that 
if her mother thought it unwise, she would find a 
pleasant way to refuse permission. 

Sure that’s what you want ?” called Janet from 
the hall downstairs. 

“Sure,” answered Anna; then she wondered if 
she should regret the decision. 

“ Then all right ; mama says to go ahead.” 


284 


Dear Days 


Anna spread out her note paper on the desk. 
She disliked to copy anything, and the prospect of 
writing even the few invitations was irksome ; but 
that was easier than making a list of guests to be 
invited. With a scrap of paper before her and the 
ink drying on her pen she thought aloud : 

“ Daisy and Bessie, of course, and Nettie, too. 
Cora — I have seen only once this year, but I be- 
lieve she’ll like to come. Nona and Irma, and I’ll 
ask them to stay all night because they live so far 
from here. Annette Bruster, because she invited me 
to her party at The Grove. She’s much younger 
than the rest, but she’ll like to come. Dell Measure 
— she doesn’t come to see me except at The Grove, 
but she won’t be surprised, and she’s at the hotel 
with Nettie. Cousin Ruth and that girl who comes 
sometimes to sit with me in church — Mary Wang. 
Yes, I think I can ask her and also her brother. 
Oh, — but he’s a boy !” 

This fact was not newly discovered, but the 
thought of it was startling. It suggested the pos- 
sible necessity of another innovation. 

“ If I ask him, there must be a few more boys, 
because he would not like to be the only boy among 
so many girls. The girls will like to have them at 


Once More 285 

the party. But I don’t know any more ! Well — 
that Wang boy sits back of us every Sunday, and 
he’s talked to me often when he wasn’t obliged to do 
it. He likes my family and would be glad to come 
here, I think. Then Janet will want Frank Moyer 
to come — that’ll be two. Oh ! I’ll invite the two 
White boys ; at The Grove they’ve often spent the 
evening at my house when Nettie and Dell were 
there. Then I just believe Til invite Rob and 
Lowry Joy 

The mere idea of this audacity made her tumble 
back in her chair, while her face flushed and her 
heart beat quicker. She tapped the desk with her 
pen a few minutes and then laughed mischievously. 

“ I shall certainly do it ! If they don’t want to 
come, they can send regrets and I won’t mind a 
bit ! They would make Nona and Irma have a 
lovely time, and it will be nice to watch them to- 
gether. I’ll have to be frank with mama and Janet 
about why I’m asking them ; I don’t like that. 
But I do want the girls to have a good time — I 
have a perfectly senseless hope that the young lords 
will come. I know they admire Janet, and they 
may come on that account.” 

At every mail time, Anna watched for the letters 


286 


Dear Days 


and longed and dreaded to open them to see what 
each person had answered. First, came enthusi- 
astic letters of acceptance from Nona and Irma. 
The White boys answered not a word, but from 
all the rest, including the Messrs. Joy, came the 
conventional “Accept with pleasure,” which af- 
forded Anna so much satisfaction that for days she 
kept them in her desk where she could easily find 
them and read them over and over again. 

It seemed as if the days would never pass by 
and so bring the longed-for pleasure. Anna had 
anticipated so much that when the day really came 
she could not quite realize it but felt as though she 
were in a dream. 

At five minutes of eight, Anna sat in the parlor 
waiting for her guests. She was fortified with the 
Roderick courage and with pride in the centre- 
piece for the table — a huge block of ice with a 
hollow in the centre for the lake of lemonade, 
which was bordered by a wreath of wild honey- 
suckle. As she greeted her friends with easy 
words, they did not guess that she was nervous 
and excited ; but her family knew it, because there 
was an unusual spot of pink in each cheek. The 
girls looked like dainty butterflies in their light 


Once More 


287 


dresses, and Anna had to struggle with the strange- 
ness of it all while she found different ways to 
keep them from being constrained. Daisy and 
Bessie knew that Janet was taking lessons in elocu- 
tion ; so they at once created a demand for her 
recitations. Anna listened with delight while Janet 
complied ; that was perhaps the best part of the 
evening to her ; she was proud of her sister, proud 
of her friends for being so appreciative, and proud 
of herself for having such a sister and such 
friends. 

Then she remembered that Daisy had once been 
very proud of her brother and had joyfully an- 
nounced to all that Robert Joy had received a 
school medal for his excellence in elocution. Anna 
knew that she must ask him to recite, but it made 
her shiver to think of deliberately addressing such 
a self-possessed young gentleman. It was easy to 
greet him as hostess and then let Janet and the 
guests entertain him, but anything more than that 
was almost impossible. 

Now Mr. Joy must favor us,” said Janet, turn- 
ing from the applause to the loudest applauder. 

I understand that you recite.” 

Anna blessed her sister once again. 


288 Dear Days 

“ I ?” exclaimed Mr. Joy. “ What an idea ! You 
must excuse me.” 

His amazed tone made Janet doubt her memory, 
and she turned to Anna for confirmation. Anna 
always had the Roderick fortitude ; she softly 
cleared her throat to make a passage for sound 
and forced out the first words, trusting that she 
should be able to finish. 

“We should like so much to hear you. Daisy 
told me that you had a medal. Have you it with 
you? Oh, there!” She bravely pointed it out. 
“ Isn’t that it ? May we see it ?” 

“ I didn’t know Daisy had given me away,” said 
the young gentleman, as he reluctantly and yet 
proudly detached the medal from his watch chain 
and allowed it to be handed around. Anna admired 
Janet as she easily and gracefully gave her con- 
gratulations, but she only smiled her own ; she 
was unable to make any more direct claims on the 
young gentleman’s attention. 

Lowry groaned as his brother stood up to recite. 
“ Same old things, I suppose ?” he asked, wearily. 

“The same,” answered Robert, good-humoredly. 
“You can’t expect new ones every time. You 
needn’t laugh.” 


Once More 


289 


“Shan’t try,” drawled Lowry. 

Anna thought this was disloyal to a member of 
one’s family, but as Irma was scolding the culprit 
she smiled at him sympathetically and then flushed 
as she caught herself doing it. She could imagine 
that some people might sometimes be tired of hear- 
ing their relatives recite but she knew that she 
should never be tired of hearing Janet. When the 
clapping subsided, Anna compelled herself to look 
at the flushed victor and to speak one short sentence 
of praise ; then her courage failed and she breath- 
lessly turned to the others and managed to say 
more to them, so that the young gentleman could 
hear. 

“ Now, Janet, will you please pass those papers 
and pencils ?” she asked, when the comment was 
ended and there was a lengthy pause. It was trying 
to have every one looking expectantly at her, but 
she forced herself to clearly explain that each one 
was expected, with eyes shut, to draw a pig, and 
then to compose a rhyme of not less than four 
lines about the pig. “When you try, you’ll see 
how easy it is,” she added, for she wanted all to 
make some eflbrt. 

There was a chorus of protestation and groan- 
19 


290 


Dear Days 


ing, much comment and joking about the subject 
chosen, and then all settled to 'work. At the end 
of half an hour, Mr. and Mrs. Roderick had de- 
cided upon the best and the worst papers and Anna 
read aloud : 

First Prize. 

Can you guess what I am ? I doubt if you can ; 

I am neither a horse, a dog nor a man, 

But a horrid old thing (I don’t care a fig) 

Mothers call greedy boys — just “ A nasty big Pig.” 

— Irma Wayn. 

Honorable Mention. 

With both eyes shut and a trembling hand, 

I have drawn a Pig at your command. 

I have told you this because, you see, 

I feared you’d ask “ What can it be ?” 

— Nona Edd. 

/ 

Draw a Pig with my eyes shut ! 

How can you ask it ? 

If I did, it would surely go 
In the waste basket. 

— Daisy Joy. 

This Pig drawn here 
Wouldn’t sell for a nick. 

Because it was drawn 
For Anna Rod’rick. 

— Lowry Joy. 


Once More 


291 


Anna’s laughter broke into the reading of the 
last rhyme, and when her audience understood the 
unintentional aspersion they clapped and hissed 
together. 

“ Isn’t it a four-line rhyme?” demanded Lowry, 
in an injured tone. “You mustn’t be hard on a 
fellow without any brains.” 

“ It isn’t true, you see,” criticised Irma. “You 
must write about true things if you want to be ad- 
mired and paid these days. Realism ^ — you know.’* 

“You’re at the High School fooling with Eng- 
lish literature, aren’t you ? I cut all that long ago,” 
retorted Lowry. “ You think mine is the best any 
how, don’t you ?” 

Daisy could not help staring at her brother’s 
devoted tone, and Robert softly applauded with 
his foot. 

Promptly Lowry turned to him. “Robert, I 
knew you’d forget,” he said despairingly. Then 
he turned to the others and explained. “ His foot 
isn’t so very big but it does come down hard ; 
heavy tread, you see. I told him to be careful, 
before he started out.” 

The retort was not much in itself, but Robert 
was of the age to be intensely embarrassed by the 


292 Dear Days 

concentration of attention on his feet. Anna met 
his uneasy look and laughed with him, instead of 
at him, hoping that that would be some comfort, 
though she knew he could never know how much 
effort it cost her to try to relieve him. 

“Shall I read the rest ?” she asked promptly; 
then she continued : 

I will label this sketch 
Like the artist of old, 

“ This is a Pig.” 

There, now, you are told. 

— Nettie Pauline. 

I am sure I don’t know what to write, 

My head is one great blank to-night. 

I can only say, what is evident quite, 

That the Pig I have drawn is a terrible fright. 

— Bessie May. 

This little Pig went to market. 

This little pig stayed at home. 

This little pig had roast beef. 

This little pig had none. 

— Robert Joy. 

When Anna read the first words of the familiar 
rhyme from “ Mother Goose,” there were sup- 
pressed exclamations and disapproving grunts, and. 


Once More 


293 


when she finished, there was a loud chorus of con- 
demnation. 

“Who’s the thief?” 

“ Shame !” 

“ Where’s the cap for the dunce ?” were the cries 
which broke from the indignant audience, to the 
evident amusement and enjoyment of the culprit. 
Anna wondered why she should be so intensely 
disappointed to find Robert Joy incapable of mak- 
ing a rhyme. She hoped he would make a good 
excuse for himself, but he bore the teasing in 
serene silence. When everybody was tired of try- 
ing to make him realize that he had lost an oppor- 
tunity to distinguish himself, Anna read the last 
rhyme : 

Booby Prize. 

I very much fear 
I am out of my sphere ; 

(That was really a tear !) 

But it’s your fault, my dear, 

For having the face 
To put me in a place 
Where I can’t show my grace 
As I could in an ace. 

Were I only at home in the barnyard. 

— Dell Measure. 


294 


Dear Days 


“ The others have written excuses in prose. Now, 
Janet, please reward these poets,” said Anna. To 
Dell Measure, Janet handed a printed booklet of 
Mother Goose rhymes illustrated with gaudily col- 
ored pictures. To Irma, she also gave a booklet ; 
the painting-paper cover was decorated with vio- 
lets, and the first page presented a pen and ink 
sketch of a pig with these verses : 

I’m decidedly out of place, I admit, 

My dainty surroundings don’t seem to fit 
As does the dirt of the old farmyard, 

So to stay here I think is rather hard. 

But a model was needed, so I am told, 

That friends might draw, and though I scold. 
Without the reward of a single nick. 

I’m here at command of Anna Rod’rick. 

“ It is a memory and souvenir book,” explained 
Anna. “You are to get these artists and poets to 
put their productions and signatures on the blank 
pages. Janet painted the cover and drew the pig, 
and I made up the lines.” 

“You took a week to do it, too, I know,” said 
Daisy, mischievously. “ Let’s see how you can do 
one all in a minute, as you made us do. You said 
it was easy. Now you’ve got to make one while 
we all watch you.” 


Once More 


295 


Yes, and then see if you’ll scorn us for think- 
ing it hard,” said Lowry. 

Surprised in this way, Anna stared desperately at 
the floor and wished that she had never thought of 
entertaining her guests in that way. But she felt that 
she was not to be let off, and while they clamored 
she made herself keep calm and so secured the first 
three lines. As she audibly consented and ac- 
cepted pencil and paper, she rejected three endings 
that would not rhyme ; then she wrote down the 
first three lines and paused. She had said it was 
easy, and so they all began to tease. She looked 
desperately at the floor, then suddenly smiled at 
them all and coolly wrote : 

Once upon a time a great fat pig 
With the farmyard dog did dance a jig. 

First to the left and then to the right 
They whirled about with all their might. 

I saw it all from my seat on the hill 

And presently joined them with right good will ; 

And then right there on that grass so green 
Began a dance such as never was seen 

Before or after, for in that jig, 

There danced a dog, a clown, and a pig. 

— Anna Roderick. 


296 


Dear Days 


“ Needn’t try to catch Anna !” said Cora, ad- 
miringly, but no one heard because of the hand- 
clapping. 

“That’s the best time I’ve had in my life, Anna 
Roderick, and I’ve been to lots of parties,” said 
Irma Wayn the next morning, as she got up from 
the breakfast table and rushed after her hat. “ Mrs. 
Roderick, — thank you ever so much for having us 
here over night. A/^’/that youngest Mr. Joy hand- 
some ? — and so nice ! I had lots of fun with him. 
Is he only fifteen? You’d think he was nineteen, 
anyway. Anna, if you don’t know a quantity of 
boys you make up in quality, — doesn’t she, Nona?” 

Nona emphatically seconded the remark, as she 
always did when Irma spoke. 

“ Did you really have a good time ?” asked Anna, 
wistfully. She wanted to believe it. 

“ Yes, indeed ! And I hope you will have another 
soon and invite us all.” There was no mistak- 
ing the sincerity of Irma’s tone. “ Why, you dis- 
covered my powers of rhyming ! Now, I’m going 
to the Principal of my High School and ask him to 
get me excused from the first two lessons because I 
went to a party last night.” 

Janet laughed. “You can do it.” 


Once More 


297 

Nona wouldn’t. She sees too much of his side 
of the matter,” laughed Irma. “ If you go into 
his office as if you’re afraid, of course he’ll roast 
you. I look just at my side and then I expect 
him to do what I want. He’ll say, ^ Miss Wayn, 
don’t you know that there are more important 
things than parties ?’ I’ll say, ‘ Oh, yes, sir ; but 
once in a while I have to play, so I’ll manage to 
live to take in the important things.’ . Then he’ll 
write my excuse — the dear man.” 

Now if I should say that to him, he would send 
me to the ^ matinee ’ for bad conduct,” said Nona, 
mournfully. 

“ The best of it is that my two teachers will frown 
and stare and ask if I’m sick, and I’ll say ‘ Oh, no ; 
I’m perfectly well, thank you.’ They’ll frown again, 
mutter ‘ Incompre^^;^sible,’ and try to be dignified 
as they say *You are excused’ — when I knew 
that already. Come along, Nona Edd. If I say 
another word. I’ll have to be excused for tardiness, 
too. Anna, I’m coming soon to pay a party call. 
Wouldn’t it be lovely if that youngest Joy should 
be here then ? Good-hy” 

How did you do it, Anna ? Everybody had a 
lovely time. There wasn’t a minute when they 


298 


Dear Days 


wished they knew what to do with themselves,” 
said Janet. “ I know when I have my party that 
I shan’t be able to manage my people like that !” 

Anna was grateful for the praise. Now she really 
permitted herself to believe that the party was 
pleasant to all. 

I didn’t do much, Janet. Of course, I have 
ideas — but you know my ideas have to live away 
above my actions. Several times I wished I was 
upstairs in bed ! I didn’t see that it was such a 
great time. I am so glad you think it was.” 


CHAPTER XXV. 


ALONG THE RIVER. 



'HE birthday party which seemed to be such a 


social triumph elated Anna more than she 
knew ; consequently, a month later, she allowed 
her sound judgment to be tampered with. In the 
midst of house-cleaning, Nona came to spend the 
day and report the various happenings in the sub- 
urb where she lived ; so the two girls had their 
luncheon of crackers and cheese and milk in the 
kitchen. There had been, in the suburb, a large 
picnic to which Nona had not been invited, and, 
while Anna condoled with her friend, she had a 
sudden, intense realization of the youthful pleasure 
there must be in picnics, and that such pleasure 
never had and never would be her own. Nona 
spoke in a matter of fact way of friendly intercourse 
and companionship between her girl and boy 
friends, and Anna had a sharp sensation of pain as, 
for the moment, she faced her own lack of any 


( 299) 


300 


Dear Days 


such thing, and had a dim idea of how much more 
pain it might cause in the future. 

“ Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a picnic !” 
suddenly said Nona. “Your father and mother 
would take us somewhere, wouldn’t they ?” 

Two months ago, Anna would have unhesitat- 
ingly vetoed the proposition because she knew that, 
to Nona, the idea of a picnic included having boys 
as well as girls. Now, she allowed that knowledge 
to be weighed down by her desire to please Nona 
and by the dazzling thought of another social con- 
nection with her old playmates. 

“Well, I don’t know,” she temporized. “They 
will if they can, I guess. It’s rather hard to take 
me anywhere, you know. We’ve sold the horse 
and carriage ; and anyway, whom could we in- 
vite ? I know so few people.” 

“ Oh, Irma and a girl at the park, and we’d 
each ask a boy. You could ask that pretty 
Bessie and she — ” 

“ She won’t ask a boy,” hastily interrupted 
Anna. “ She says her mother would lock her up 
if she should look at one — and besides she doesn’t 
want to.” 

“ Well, I guess she isn’t afraid to go with boys 


Along the River 


301 


on a picnic. Can’t you ask that girl and boy from 
your church and the Joys ?” 

I suppose I could,” said Anna slowly. “ If 
mama says so. How would it do to go down the 
Potomac when our Sunday-school goes ? I am 
going on that excursion, but it is only a week from 
to-day, and we could not plan a picnic in that time.” 

“ Oh, yes, we could ; that is just the thing. I’ll 
ask my friends to-morrow. Can’t I take you around 
to yours to-day?” 

Anna gasped at the thought of this prompt de- 
cision and action ; it would necessitate asking her 
mother’s permission in the presence of Nona, and 
that would prevent a free discussion of the obsta- 
cles in the way. She had half intended to ask 
her mother to refuse because Nona could not be 
offended at that ; but she thought, with a sense of 
longing, that a picnic would be so nice, and she 
knew that if it was mentioned first before Nona 
there would be a better chance of having it. After 
a few moments’ thought, Anna deliberately put 
aside her scruples and her better judgment and 
was as eager as Nona. 

It’s too hot to go now. You stay to dinner, 
and then we’ll go if mama says yes.” 


302 


Dear Days 


Anna hardly knew how to broach the subject to 
her mother; her cheeks burned as she rapidly 
stated the plan. 

“A picnic? Why — ” Mrs. Roderick looked 
at Anna in surprise. “ Why do you want a crowd, 
dear? Just ourselves would be so much nicer; 
we would like to have Nona and Irma, of course, 
if they care to go. Don’t you think you will enjoy 
that just as well ?” 

Back of the words, Anna knew there was an ap- 
peal to her good sense, and it was very seldom 
that she did not readily respond to such an appeal, 
but now she wavered. She did not care so very 
much about the picnic for herself ; it was silly for 
an invalid to try to be like other girls, and it would 
be much nicer to be free from responsibility for 
another’s pleasure. She was about to cheerfully 
withdraw her request when she looked at Nona’s 
eager face and thought of her social prestige. 

“ Oh, mama !” Various motives impelled her to 
put into her voice more disappointment than she 
really felt. “ Don’t you know what a nice time we 
had last year when Janet took her friends on the 
Sunday-school excursion ?” 

“ You really want to invite boys and girls to go 


Along the River 303 

with us ?” asked Mrs. Roderick. It was another 
chance for Anna to be sensible. 

“ Yes, mama,” she said eagerly, and her eyes 
appealed for her mother’s entire approval. 

Mrs. Roderick thought a minute. Well, then, 
make your plans,” she said quietly. “ But don’t 
ask too many.” 

Anna wanted her mother to be thoroughly in 
sympathy with the plan and was not satisfied with 
the mere permission. “ Will it be all right mama ?” 
she asked quickly. 

“Yes, we will make a very good time for our- 
selves,” she said brightly, and Anna forgot her 
doubts and her prudence. After dinner, when the 
sun had gone down, Nona wheeled Anna out and, 
as they chatted eagerly, Anna felt almost as if she 
were another girl to whom picnics were matter of 
course events ; their anticipations were much en- 
couraged when they found that Bessie and the two 
church friends instantly accepted the invitation. 
Success seemed certain until they reached Daisy’s 
house. She came out of the basement entrance 
with her napkin in her hand and tried hard to hide 
her surprise at the visit. Again Anna found it diffi- 
cult to mention the plan. 


304 


Dear Days 


Rob and Lowry and I ?” Daisy repeated, and 
Anna wondered why her cheeks were so flushed. 

If you ask mama, maybe she will let me go. Come 
around in the side yard. She isn’t dressed for even- 
ing so she can’t come out here.” 

‘‘How do you do, Anna? You wanted to see 
me?” said Mrs. Joy. “You must excuse my 
wrapper. These days are so warm — ” 

“ I should think you would want to dress as 
comfortably as possible,” said Anna, and then she 
briefly explained her plan. “ Won’t you let Daisy 
go with us ?” she asked, and then the old fear of 
Daisy’s mother came over her, and she could not 
get breath to name the boys, too. It was impossi- 
ble to make herself say anything more, so she left 
that for Daisy to do afterward. She wondered why 
Daisy apprehensively watched her mouth and then 
sighed in a relieved way. 

“ I am sorry, but I couldn’t think of it,” said 
Mrs. Joy, firmly. “ I don’t often let even my big 
boys go on the water and, when they do go, I’m 
sick and nervous till they get back. Daisy must 
content herself with going down the river with her 
mother some time.” 

Even then, Anna was unable to say that the in- 


Along the River 


305 


vitation was for the boys also ; she was sure Daisy 
would state the fact as soon as she had gone, and 
she hoped Mrs. Joy would think she had misun- 
derstood. 

When they were out of the yard, Nona stopped 
suddenly. “ Why, you didn’t ask about the boys ! 
I didn’t notice it till just now. We want them, 
anyway. Shall we go back ?” 

Oh, Daisy will ask them,” said Anna, w'ith 
apparent carelessness. “ I wonder if Etta Black 
and her brother would want to go? He goes 
with the Joy boys, and Etta is at Bessie’s school. 
I knew them at The Grove, some time ago, but I 
had forgotten about them. We do want a nice 
crowd, and it won’t hurt to ask them, will it?’* 
Now that Anna had broken away from prudence, 
she did not fear to do what she would not before 
have considered for a moment. Although she did 
not then hesitate about inviting the two who were 
almost strangers, her heart thumped loudly and she 
became more and more nervous as they passed 
each street corner and came nearer to the house. 

A small boy on a velocipede came out of Mrs. 
Black’s gate just before Anna rolled in. Mrs. Black 
remembered Anna and made her very welcome, 


20 


3o6 


Dear Days 


but she went, almost immediately, to the side-gar- 
den to gather a bouquet of flowers for the invalid, 
leaving Anna to bravely face the astonished daugh- 
ter and explain her reason for calling. 

“ Why, yes, I’d like to go if I can,” said Etta 
Black in a dazed way. “ Do you mean Ralph ?” 

“ Ralph ?” repeated Anna, puzzled. 

Yes, my brother. There he is on his veloci- 
pede. I am afraid he is too little to go.” 

“ Oh, I didn’t know you had two brothers,” 
said Anna, laughingly. ‘‘ I meant the one older 
than you. He goes with the Joy boys, doesn’t he? 
We’ve asked them to go with us.” 

“My big brother ?” 

The girl’s nature was frank, and she could not 
help showing all her amazement and scorn. Anna 
at once felt faint as she quickly recognized what a 
blunder she had made ; through her mind went 
the whimsical notion that the young gentleman 
must have grown as big as a mountain, and she had 
asked him to a doll’s tea-party ! With intense sin- 
cere repentance she wished that she had never tried 
to have a picnic, but, at the same time, she bravely 
nerved herself to answer in a way which would pre- 
vent open acknowledgment of the bitter mistake. 


Along the River 


307 


Big ?” she said wonderingly. “ Is he bigger 
than you ? I haven’t seen him for some time. The 
last time I did see him, he was just a boy.” 

“Are the Joy boys going ?” sharply asked Etta 
Black. 

“ They are to let us know if they can go.” Anna 
put her hand on her wheel and, moving her chair 
a little, she looked at Nona. “ I must not stay 
because we have been out longer now than we 
intended. Send me word as soon as possible if you 
can go.” 

“ Our Sunday-school goes on an excursion to 
Bay Ridge the same day, and mama may want to 
go there. If she doesn’t. I’ll go to Marshall Hall 
with you,” said Etta. There was a silent, unani- 
mous decision that it would be best for everybody 
to ignore the big brother. 

On the way home, Nona and Anna carefully re- 
frained from admitting to each other that there had 
been any discouragement or unpleasantness and, 
when they reported to Mrs. Roderick, by unspoken 
mutual consent they merely stated the inoffensive 
fact that they would not know until later whether 
or not four of the people could accept the invita- 
tion. 


3o8 


Dear Days 


The sun shone brightly the day of the excur- 
sion, and when the steamer “ River Queen ” backed 
out from the Seventh Street wharf and slowly 
swung around, Anna looked eagerly down the 
sparkling river and then glanced back at the mem- 
bers of her family, and at Nona, Bessie, and the 
sister and brother from her church. 

‘‘Where is our picnic?’’ she asked gaily, and 
then she laughed at Nona’s rueful face. “ Nine 
people out of seventeen expected ! Well, I’m 
rather glad we don’t have to bother about so many 
people — as long as we can’t have them.” 

“ Haven’t we had the worst luck ?” said Nona, 
in a disappointed and injured tone. “The boy I 
asked couldn’t come, then Irma’s people had to 
move just now and it was such a disappointment to 
her — I should think they could have moved 
without her help. The boy she would have asked 
belongs to the District Guard and is camping at 
Fort Washington ; if the boat stops there, we may 
see him. Didn’t your two boys send you any 
word ?” 

“ Daisy’s brothers, you mean ?” asked Anna, 
quickly. It was unusual for her to be in that kind 
of a false position and she continued a little bitterly, 


Along the River 


309 


If they didn’t want to come, they should have 
said so. I think my invitation deserved a polite 
answer, anyway. I am rather surprised that they 
should act in that way. I thought they considered 
themselves perfectly correct in everything.” Anna 
was not really as much offended as she thought 
she ought to appear because of Nona. 

Bessie looked quickly at Anna and opened her 
mouth ; then she looked up and down the river 
and at all the people near. At last she leaned over 
the rail and looked at the rippling water as she said 
slowly, 

*^Anna, I want to tell you something. Daisy 
didn’t tell Rob and Lowry you wanted them to 
come too.” 

Anna looked at her without comprehending. 

‘^The idea !” cried Nona. 

“ No, Daisy didn’t tell them,” repeated Bessie as 
she slowly tore tiny pieces of paper from her candy 
bag, but showed no other sign of embarrassment. 
“ Daisy thought she wouldn’t say anything to you 
about it, but I know she won’t mind my telling.” 
This was a frank statement and yet it left much to 
be guessed at ; to Anna, it was like a flash light 
which showed everything clearly. Previous expe- 




310 


Dear Days 


rience made it easy for her to grasp readily the 
meaning of Daisy’s action, and the realization was 
not as painful as it might have been had there not 
been similar incidents to prepare the way. 

“ I am very glad you did tell me,” said Anna, 
cordially. “ I like to know just how things are. 
But don’t you think Mrs. Joy might have let Daisy 
come ?” In that way she slipped away from dis- 
cussion of the matter and drew the others after her, 
because she felt that entire frankness would be 
painful for all. That day held many pleasures 
entirely new to her, and she meant to enjoy them 
thoroughly — when she reached home she would 
learn and profit by the lesson. 

The young people on the boat had gathered 
around Mr. and Mrs. Roderick, and were following 
their lead in song. The older folks settled them- 
selves comfortably and listened or hummed softly 
when they could not restrain themselves. The 
steamboat’s paddles churned the water to white 
foam ; the sunlight made the ripples sparkle ; the 
breeze blew hats and hair about and swayed the 
bushes on the banks. Anna had been trying to 
banish the thought of the lesson she must learn 
and so her mind was far away from all the beauty 


Along the River 


311 

of scenery and the gaiety of friends when she 
caught the words : 

“ Along the river of Time we glide, 

Along the river, along the river!” 

The melody went on to the end, but Anna heard 
no more just then. She drew a long breath and 
leaned her head on the back of her chair. Her 
guests were singing with the rest, so she need not 
feel responsible for their enjoyment and could give 
a few minutes to herself. The girls are gliding 
* along the river of Time,’ and I might have known 
it before,” she sadly thought. “ I did know it — but 
I wouldn’t believe. I must stay in my quiet nook 
and see them pass by. Well, I shan’t cry — ” 

‘^What are we stopping at Alexandria for?” 
asked Nona, as chains were thrown over and fast- 
ened to the posts of the wharf. Anna, wake up ! 
What are you thinking about?” 

“ Christ Church and George Washington’s pew,” 
said Anna, promptly. “ Don’t you wish we had 
time to get off and see it?” She watched the 
freight put off of the boat, and barrels and boxes 
shoved up the gang-plank to the warehouse. 
“Funny to stop an excursion boat for that, but 


312 


Dear Days 


then, you know, this boat is the pokiest one on the 
river if it is the ^ Queen.’ I am very glad I 
don’t live in Alexandria ; I suppose George is a 
great consolation to those who do. It is such a 
dead looking place, but I suppose the residents 
like to say that it was once upon a time one of the 
largest shipping ports in America.” 

Farther down on the bend of the river, was the 
gray stone Fort Washington which grimly guarded 
the approach to the Capital City. Not a boat could 
come up the river and round the bend without 
being seen from the fort. The River Queen ” 
stopped there for a minute to throw off a mail -bag. 
The soldiers of the U. S. army who were stationed 
at the fort and the District militia campers were 
already on the wharf looking eagerly for acquaint- 
ances and joking and staring at the strangers. 

There’s Irma’s friend,” cried Nona, and then 
she rapidly pointed out the little marks of differ- 
ence which enabled Anna to locate that particular 
one of the many young soldiers in undress attire. 

Where's Irma?" asked the handsome, sunburnt 
young boy. They could not hear his voice above 
the shouting, but they read the motion of his lips. 

Nona shook her head and the boy’s face fell. 


Along the River 


313 


Now see how disappointed he looks. That’s 
just the way.' If Irma isn’t around, he won’t have 
anything to do with the other girls.” 

As the boat went on down the river the banks 
on each side became gradually higher. Anna 
noticed that a white-haired old gentleman gazed 
steadily at one side for some time, and then sud- 
denly began to sing ; 

“ Oh, come sinners, come, to the highlands of Heaven — ” 

The old people immediately joined in the familiar 
hymn and, in a few minutes, every one on that deck 
was swelling the chorus of sound. The wrinkled 
faces shone and the flippant faces sobered as they 
were thrilled in various degrees by the fervency in 
the air and the words. 

“ For the tide is receding — ” 

The words came clearly and seemed to have a 
personal, unwarranted significance to Anna. She 
clasped her hands in her lap and bravely smiled to 
herself. 

“ I tried to go beyond my limit and now my 
tide is certainly receding,” she murmured softly. 


And forever cease — ” 


314 . Dear Days 

will!” thought Anna with a half-conscious 
appreciation of the way she had twisted the mean- 
ing, and then she slowly repeated aloud her deci- 
sion. I’ll just cease trying to be what I am not 
and I will be happy as I am and wherever I am.” 
Her mother’s wise teaching enabled her to partly 
understand the reason for the rapt look on some 
of the old faces, and while the young people around 
her quickly went back to their gay mood, there 
crept into her heart an aspiration and purpose which 
was to be like a “ little leaven which lighteneth the 
whole loaf.” 

Fifteen miles down the river. Mount Vernon 
could be seen on the Virginia bank and River View 
on the Maryland side. At the latter place, a crowd 
of picnickers idled away the summer day and, at the 
former, was the quiet tomb and the former home of 
the Father of his Country. Still farther down was 
Marshall Hall, where all the sunshiny day Anna 
and the rest of her party spent the pleasant min- 
utes under the long grape arbor and the tall trees 
and down on the shore where a few lovers of bath- 
ing tumbled about in the water. The music of the 
band, the dancing in the pavilion, the merry-go- 
round, the roll-a-coaster, the swings, the fragrant 


Along the River 315 

woods, the happy people, and the solemn grave- 
stones at the side of the Marshall homestead fur- 
nished all the interest and the amusement that 
Anna needed. Until she reached home she reso- 
lutely kept out of her mind all thoughts of the 
unpleasant incident of the day and the disagreeable 
possibilities of the morrow. 

That night, as her light was put out, the clock 
struck twelve and, all alone, she faced the situa- 
tion. It included much more than the incident of 
the day. She sat up in bed and hugged one of 
her pillows as she looked at the sparkling sky and 
said aloud : 

“ Yes, I am an invalid, and I must not try to be 
anything else, and I must not mind if I do not ever 
have many ‘playmates.’ The boys will soon take 
Nona and Irma away from me. Daisy will go 
soon after, but I think I’ll have Bessie for some 
time yet, unless she gets tired of me. That I 
can’t help. Oh, I do wish I had not been so fool- 
ish ; why did I try to have a picnic ? Home is 
my place — and it’s lovely. Oh, I wonder if those 
boys said anything ugly about being asked to my 
birthday party, and that’s why Daisy — ” 

A sob shook the pillow from her arms and scald- 


3>6 


Dear Days 


ing tears hid the bright stars ; but she wanted to be 
sensible, brave and sweet, so she steadily counted 
sheep to make her sleep and, the next morning, 
went on living the minutes cheerfully. 


THE END. 




NOV 7 I9(j| 



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library of congress 


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